Buckingham, though an astounding guitarist, seemed prattish and full of himself beside the cool beardies.

According to my sources, the former prime minister John Howard was also disrespected when he visited Sydney's Riverview College in 1998, albeit in a more prattish way.

He added: “But you have a fairly prattish management out there who are not the brightest sandwiches in the picnic basket and who say, ‘To hell with Scottish consumers’.”

Sir, Apart from the illogicality (with all due respect to Brough Girling, 8th January) of Jennings, Tin Tin or Milly Molly Mandy, actually growing up, can one imagine anything more unlikely than Just William becoming anything as prattish as a Tory minister or an estate agent?