The former self-styled First Lady of Britain, Cherie Blair, is to write her memoirs. The book is said to have attracted a £1.5m ($3m) advance from a British publisher and could make even more in America.

Cherie Blair grovelling to the King of Norway

The volume, Cherie Blair: The Autobiography is timed for publication in October 2008, just before the Labour Party Conference. Speculation has it that she’ll go hammer and tongs for her arch-enemy, Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

However, it’s thought likely she will also attack the Royal Family. Her republican sympathies made life difficult for the Queen and Prince Philip over the past ten years, and they were probably relieved to see the back of her when Tony Blair recently resigned.

She relentlessly refused to curtsey to Her Majesty even though she was pictured grovelling to the King of Norway outside 10 Downing Street (see picture). Her speciality was openly yawning at Royal occasions. The annual weekend at Balmoral was said to be “bloody” by those who witnessed it.

The Queen is reported to have described her as “hectoring and aloof” when she turned up at functions, and Prince Philip could hardly bring himself to speak to her at all.

Cherie’s relationship with the proud Princess Anne was not much better. “That bitch”, Ms Blair called her after a Buckingham Palace party.

The book will be welcomed by gossip-mongers, those who love to hate, and especially anyone waiting for Cherie Blair to fly her true colours unimpeded by Downing Street protocol.

It should be a “bloody” affair.

Last year it was political whizz-kid David Cameron and his wife, Samantha. This year it’s the world’s most famous multi-dumpee/undumpee, Kate Middleton.

Yes, it’s Tatler’s list of the “most wanted on the social scene” time again. Yipee!

Kate is described by the magazine as a “sexy siren”, now “super in-demand” owing to her “suddenly single” status. They’re obviously not reading Royal Anecdotes.

It seems she has only appeared once before in the Hot 100, in 2004, back in a dismal 12th place. That you’ll remember was when she was just rumoured to be Prince William’s girlfriend.

Tatler says, “Even if she’s back with William now, her position is assured. You can’t get much higher than No 1.”

The Tatler Top Ten
1: Kate Middleton
2: Tony and Cherie Blair
3: Jemima Khan
4: Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar
5: Lord Rothschild
6: Sophia Hesketh and Robie Uniacke
7: Cartier’s Arnaud and Carla Bamberger
8: Lord Ed Spencer-Churchill and Petrina Khashoggi
9: Elisabeth Murdoch and Matthew Freud
10: Mischa Barton

The surprise in there is newly office-free, Tony Blair, in second place with wife, Cherie, known to some as “the wicked witch”. Who on earth would want them round to dinner? Tatler obviously agrees, “And now for the great cash-in. Tony and Shezza are up for anything — except dinner with Gordon.”

On a Royal note, Camilla and the Prince of Wales, who are back in fashion with the green lobby, are in the top 100.

I can’t say I would want to invite many of the others to dinner. At least Kate Moss and abominable Pete have dropped out altogether.

The newly-published political memoirs of Alastair Campbell, former spin doctor to Tony Blair, throws a little light in dark corners here and there.

The Queen at Prince William’s Passing Out, Sandhurst

He claims that Princess Diana wanted her son William to inherit the Throne directly from the Queen and bypass Prince Charles. Now this is not new, as Diana implied as much in her explosive Panorama interview following the publication of Andrew Morton’s book in which she secretly collaborated.

On January 21, 1997, three months before Blair became Prime Minister, Campbell says that Diana dined with the Blairs and the Campbells at a friend’s home in East London. He claims, “while she was looking for things in the kitchen, I asked about William, and she said she would have some influence over what happened to him and she was clearly determined he would be King.”

It’s all a bit vague the way it’s written, but it rings true nevertheless.

What’s interesting is the phrase, “she said she would have some influence over what happened …” Seeing that the succession is determined by Act of Parliament and not by a divorced Princess of Wales, it’s hard to take it seriously at first glance.

Could this be the reason that she so assiduously collected all that material about Charles, even interviewing and taping his staff? Tapes which have since gone missing.

Diana, the toppler of Kings is a new string to her bow — if it’s all true, of course.

Anyone who has seen the Oscar-winning film The Queen, with Helen Mirren in the title role, will remember the amusing scene in which Tony Blair is appointed HM’s 10th Prime Minister.

Today, that process was reversed when Tony Blair went to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation.

Dour Scot, Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, was then appointed Prime Minister — the 11th of the Queen’s reign.

I mention this because, here in Britain, it seems such a momentous occasion. Blair has been in office for 10 long years and the public was yearning for a change.

But also because the film got it wrong. Nowadays, the incoming PM doesn’t have to kneel, nor kiss the Queen’s hand. It’s all done with just a brief exchange of words. Unlike in America, it’s the Queen who takes the oath, at her Coronation, and simply appoints the Prime Minister by asking him/her to form a Government.

However, the incident in the film pin-pointed a trait in Blair’s character : his lack of grasp of the detail. It’s a case of art casting light on reality.

The Queen appeared to get along well with Brown as he spent an hour in her company. In the movie, Blair was only there for a few minutes.

It’s at moments like these that the constitutional nature of the Monarchy is apparent to all.

No-one does it better than Elizabeth II.