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EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: The Duchess of Cambridge’s much-appreciated return to work

By Ephraim Hardcastle for the Daily Mail

Published: 19:26 EST, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 07:47 EST, 25 September 2015

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The Duchess of Cambridge visited a mental health charity in London

The Duchess of Cambridge’s much-appreciated return to work – visiting a mental health charity in London and Twickenham for the rugby – cheers her fans.

She’ll also attend the premiere next month of the new James Bond movie, Spectre.

Other plans are hazy. Flunkeys are reluctant to announce too many in advance. The ‘prickly princess’ is unpredictable.

A much-hyped overseas visit next spring currently awaits her nod. Come on, Kate!

Queen Sofia of Spain, 76, is one of the 273 nominees for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her work supporting Alzheimer’s research.

Why isn’t our own Queen nominated? Some think her work in leading the Commonwealth is HM’s greatest legacy.

If Sofia does pick up the prize, it won’t help relations with HM. They’ve been on frosty terms since Sofia boycotted the 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations to highlight UK/Spanish differences over Gibraltar.

Prince William and Harry are due at tomorrow’s World Cup rugby match between England and Wales at Twickenham.

While William (a future Prince of Wales) is the vice-patron for the Welsh, he is viewed as a ‘closet England supporter’ by some fans from the valleys.

The prince is now aware of this. He took care to avoid cheering on England during their match against Fiji last week.

England rugby’s honorary president, Prince Harry, didn’t stint on the cheering and fist-pumping.

Ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane

Strangely, ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane is omitted from Sir Alex Ferguson’s published list of world-class players he has managed.

Keane has said Ferguson possesses ‘a massive ego’. Ferguson called Keane ‘disloyal’ and sacked him.

Still, omitting Cork-born Keane, a dominant 1990s giant in his team, from his pot-boiling tome is petty. The great Sir Alex demeans himself.

Currently promoting his political memoirs, ex-Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, 58, proudly observes on BBC Two’s must-watch Daily Politics: ‘I went to places where other politicians wouldn’t go.’

Such as obsessing about unidentified flying objects. Baker enjoyed the support of David Icke, the former broadcaster who once suggested that the Queen was an extra-terrestrial lizard.

Jailed star and sex offender Rolf Harris reposes in HMP Stafford. Will he meet the Princess Royal, whose mother (HM) he painted, when she visits next month?

‘No final decision has been made,’ says my source, adding: ‘Courtiers have vetoed any prospect of an Anne-Harris photo. They’re fed up of archive pictures of Charles and Camila Batmanghelidjh (of collapsed Kids Company) getting regular airings.’

Shadow universities minister Liam Byrne hails his leader, Jeremy Corbyn, as ‘the craft ale of the Labour movement’ due to his ‘strong flavours’.

Isn’t it astonishing that toadyish Byrne still has a political job, albeit one comparable to that of deck quoits supremo on a doomed cruise ship?

As chief secretary of the Treasury in the outgoing, wallowing-in-debt Labour government in 2010, he left a note for his successor, saying: ‘Dear Chief Secretary, I am afraid there is no money.’