'Independent' poll finds less that half want him to take throne as ministers moan of interference

When, in 1986, i's sister paper The Independent started publication, the monarchy was going through one of its periodic bad patches. Before that, during the 1950s and 1960s, the Royal Family had been successfully presented as a model family. The Windsors even managed to appear as much conventionally middle class as royal. There were photographs of them enjoying picnics and barbecues together. After the abdication crisis of 1936 and then the Second World War, when many old landmarks disappeared, they had found their role. They represented stability.

How do you do the Jubilee on the radio? Is it actually possible to discuss the impending royal knees-up without archive films of trestle tables bisecting drab Seventies streets, and of the young monarch gamely watching "exotic" performances under a canopy in an unnamed African country, the Duke silently rolling his eyes in the background.

At the start of the week, my colleague Yasmin Alibhai-Brown was characteristically forthright in her antipathy towards the Jubilee. Not for her a union jack plate, some bunting and a street party.

Police adopted an “impermissibly low tolerance to public protest” ahead of last year’s royal wedding, lawyers representing anti-monarchist activists who were pre-emptively detained to stop them protesting it have told the High Court.

I admire and hugely like the singer Billy Bragg, that proud working-class hero. The last time we met, the Queen's Jubilee came up and also my fierce republicanism. Don't fret, said Billy, understand. Royalty is an integral part of British culture. Respect it, as you ask for your culture to be respected. I have never believed any tradition should be above criticism, just because it goes back a long way. But still, Billy, this time I tried, really tried. And then this week the excessive indulgence of spoilt royals, the oleaginousness and uninhibited ostentation got to me. Objections broke out, like hives. And quite honestly it is a relief after the suffocating restraint of the past months.

David Starkey, your time is up. For restoring women to Restoration history, I love Dr Lucy

Is Hertfordshire the most patriotic place in the country?

The Queen has launched a website documenting the life of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in her own words - but revealed she had no plans to publish her own diaries.

A garden celebrating the popularity of topiary has scooped best in show at the Chelsea Flower Show.

When you sit down to dine at at tearoom containing items from one of the largest collections of Royal memorabilia in the world, you probably shouldn't be surprised to be asked to stand for the national anthem. However three disgruntled customers did just that and fell foul of the proprietor.

The owner of a royalty-themed tearoom explained today why she threw out three middle-aged customers who refused to stand when she played the national anthem.

The capable author of The Mitford Girls tackles a dynasty – probably the dynasty – with entertaining results.

He has nothing to fear but fear itself. The very fact that Frankel returns at all, of course, must be counted auspicious in that regard.