Laugh of the day was when twelve barrels of lager containing 2000 pints of the amber fluid were mistakenly delivered to the Queen yesterday. They should have gone to a pub called the Windsor Castle.

Royal staff were baffled when the delivery turned up at the real Windsor Castle. Staff could find no record of the order.

Blushes were saved when a Royal protection officer twigged the problem and phoned the drinking establishment five miles away in Maidenhead.

Pub boss Misko Coric confirmed he was waiting for the beer to lubricate fans about to watch the England v. Croatia soccer match on the big screen TV. The supplies were more than three hours late and he was getting jumpy the pub would run out of beer.

The Landlord said, “[In the past} we have taken delivery of Windsor Castle headed notepaper and letters for Prince Charles — but this is the first time they had anything destined for us.”

A Royal spokesman said, “It was very funny. But there’s no way the Queen sits down in the evening with a pint.”

Where were William and Harry when they were needed?

President Bush and his wife, Laura, have arrived at Windsor Castle for afternoon tea with the Queen.

Marine 1, the Presidential helicopter, lands at Windsor Castle

The visit is the final leg of the European tour to mark the ending of George Bush’s term as President of the United States.

Tonight they will dine with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street in London.

President Bush and First Lady greeted at Windsor Castle

The Presidential couple will spend a day and a half in Britain, mainly saying their goodbyes but also fitting in some business meetings too, especially with Brown.

In the aftermath of the death of Sir Edmund Hillary at the age of 88, the Queen has offered to honour the explorer by holding a special memorial service for his family at Windsor Castle.

Sir Edmund Hillary being honoured by Nepal

New Zealander Sir Edmund was the first man to conquer Mount Everest as part of the British 1953 expedition team. The news of the triumph came through just before the Queen’s Coronation and added considerable sparkle to the beginning of the new Elizabethan Age.

Mount Everest — world’s highest peak

His recent passing has “deeply saddened” the Queen who sent a personal message of condolences from herself and the Duke of Edinburgh to the Hillary family.

The service is expected to be held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on a date to be fixed in April.

Hillary started out as a bee farmer before becoming one of the world’s most famous explorers. He was made a Knight of the Garter, which means the Windsor ceremony will include the “laying up” of his banner in the chapel. His family will meet the Queen personally after the service.

Sir Edmund has been granted the rare honour in his native New Zealand of a State funeral, where the Queen will be represented by the Governor-General of New Zealand.

The service will be held in Auckland next Tuesday and the Queen and the Duke will send a personal wreath to be laid at the lying-in-state before the funeral.

With more flooding expected around Windsor, and the banks of the River Thames already under 4-feet of water, the Queen, 81, was unable to ride her normal route yesterday.

In a message to victims of the flooding, the Monarch said, “I have been shocked and deeply concerned by the extent of the devastation caused by the most recent severe flooding across large parts of the country.”

Her Majesty sympathized with “all the many people whose homes have been damaged, livelihoods threatened, or who have been affected by the power and water shortages. May I also express my continued admiration for the emergency services, military personnel, local authorities and volunteers working tirelessly and selflessly to bring people to safety and avert further damage.”