"It is the centrepiece of the Prince of Wales's 60th birthday celebrations."
"A lavish party for several hundred friends, statesmen and relatives thrown by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday night."
"And
the highlight of the evening? An intimate performance by the
illustrious Philharmonia Orchestra led by the world-famous conductor
Riccardo Muti."
"Unfortunately for Buckingham Palace, their glorious gala evening has already been marred by a spat which has seen the Maestro - as his staff reverently refer to him - flounce off centre stage with a toss of his famously flowing locks."
Our suggestion: if Muti is too high-falutin' and doesn't dig that the Sovereign dictates the night's program, call Paul Potts and Katherine Jenkins. Then nobody will care about the conductor (having said this, if Placidone is free for the night, he'll certainly show up with his baton).