Captain Moonlight: Funky Phil is a right royal raver

SOMETIMES I think the Royal Family just can't win. Too posh for some, not highbrow enough for others. Take tastes in music. Some people might sneer when they read that the Duke of Edinburgh is a big Bee Gees fan; not the Captain. So taken was I by the revelation that the Duke has been known to get down at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball in Cowes to the beat of 'Night Fever' that I commissioned an impression of the occasion. The Queen, I recall, has slightly less exuberant tastes. She used to like 'Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud' a lot. The Prince of Wales, for once, follows his father. His favourite 'group' has long been The Three Degrees (remember 'When Will I See You Again?' That was their big hit. It was some time ago, but the Prince has stayed touchingly loyal). The group will be here next month for an engagement at the Cafe Royal, and, I hear, a special performance for the Prince is in the offing. Personally, I find myself more in sympathy with the Queen Mother, for whom Flanagan and Allen are matched only by Gracie Fields, the Captain's especial favourite.

(Photograph omitted)