The royals - all of them especially Prince Philip and Prince Charles - have done outstanding work with the faith communities.

So here is one of my theories on happiness: we cannot know if we have lived a truly happy life until the very end. This view of life and death was reinforced by my close witnessing of the buildup to the death of Philip Gould. Philip was without doubt my closest friend in politics. When he died I felt like I had lost a limb.

The Philippines is a terrible name coming from Spain. Phillip II was the father of the inquisition who I believe died of syphilis. It is my great regret that we didn't change the name of our country.

In the 1970s and 1980s there was so little decent fiction for young people but we're now in a golden age that shows no sign of fading. Philip Pullman J. K. Rowling Lemony Snicket are only three of the best known among a good number of equals.