The Diary: Zara star attraction at charity bash

NZ Herald

21 May, 2015 05:00 PM5 mins to read

Olympic equestrian and eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Zara Phillips. Photo / Evan Agostini / Invision / AP

Queen’s granddaughter guest of honour at fundraising party.

The Queen's granddaughter, equestrian Zara Phillips, 34 - whose parents are Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips - is expected to make a star-studded guest appearance in Auckland next month at a private party for a New Zealand charity.

Phillips is a patron of The Catwalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust, founded in 2005 by Catriona Williams, formerly one of New Zealand's leading international equestrian riders.

Richie McCaw, Toni Street, Lance O'Sullivan, Sir Mark Todd, Sir Brian Lochore, Sarah Walker, Aaron Slight and Dion Nash are also patrons of the cause, and are expected to attend the gala at SkyCity on June 12 in honour of the charity's 10th anniversary.

Having Phillips as the guest of honour is quite a coup. The trust is advertising her appearance at the event on their website, and the charity's chief executive said the gala is sold out. No surprise, when they're selling a royal in their midst.

However, there is some hesitation in confirming her arrival three weeks out from the black-tie bash.

"We are expecting Zara to attend, but lots of things can happen between now and then," Libby Young told The Diary yesterday.

The 16th in line to the throne, who is married to former England rugby player Mike Tindall and is one of Britain's leading equestrian riders, is in a busy training schedule and vying for a place on Team GB for the Rio Olympics, only 13 months away. Can she spare the time?

If Zara does jet in, it's not clear whether her hubby and child, 16-month-old daughter Mia, will be joining her or staying at home at Gatcombe Park, the Gloucestershire estate that belongs to her mother, Princess Anne.

"We have no details on that at this stage," the charity exec said.

It's not the first time the Olympic silver medallist has supported the cause. In 2011, she made a low-key appearance at a cocktail party for the charity on an emergency trip to New Zealand when her husband of seven weeks was filmed cavorting with a mystery blonde in Queenstown during the Rugby World Cup.

The incident was splashed in headlines across the world, and Zara brushed it off, saying the woman was just an old friend.

Now her hubby is facing a different kind of spotlight - earning money as a reality TV contestant.

Tindall, now retired from professional rugby, told British media this year he was forced to find alternative sources of income because the high-profile couple don't get anything from the royal purse.

He signed up as a celebrity contestant on The Jump and Bear Grylls' Mission Survive, and received fat cheques and a telly profile.

Zara's showjumping equestrian career is costly and she has sponsorship deals in place.

It is not clear, however, if she is being compensated for her participation to appear at the Catwalk Trust bash.

Lorde may yet regret not being loyal

Scott MacLachlan oversaw Lorde's rise from Takapuna schoolgirl to Grammy Award-winning star. Photo / NZME.

Critics are questioning Lorde's decision to split from manager Scott Maclachlan, even in light of her defiant tweet on Wednesday announcing she knows what's best for her.

"Yes, I'm a young lass, but I'm also making the best decisions for me each day. #stayeducated," the 18-year-old pop princess tweeted.

But UK Guardian music journalist Eamonn Forde said ditching Machlachlan, the man who oversaw her rise from Takapuna schoolgirl to Grammy Award-winning star, may be a mistake.

He reckons the proof of whether it's the right move will be judged on her second album, which she is working on with producer Joel Little.

"It should never be forgotten that, at the time in their careers and in their personal lives when they need it most, a good manager is the only person in the room who will say 'No'," Eamonn said. "And often that ability to say 'No' comes from having been around since the beginning, since before the artist expected that their every word be greeted with approval."

Lorde, no stranger to being outspoken for someone so young, joins a long line of successful artists who have dumped their managers, from The Beatles to the Spice Girls, Duffy, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Jesse J, Snow Patrol and the Stone Roses.

Pop stars with new managers1. The Spice Girls' career careened after dropping manager Simon Fuller in 1997.

2. Duffy dumped her manager Jeanette Lee in 2010 after selling 6.5 million records on her debut album. Her second sold just over 200,000 in the UK.

3. Lady Gaga sold millions of albums from three studio records, then split from her manager Troy Carter in November 2013 citing creative differences. She went on to make a jazz album, Cheek to Cheek, which sold 580,000 copies in the US.

4. U2 took on Guy Oseary in 2013, and he struck the disastrous PR deal with Apple which resulted in their album, Songs of Innocence, being given away to iTunes customers unsolicited.

First flag consultation fails to reach half mast

Kiwis have been given an historic opportunity to redesign a new flag through two referendums. However, the first meeting in the $27.5 million project has flopped, media reported this week. Apparently fewer than 10 people went to the first consultation meeting in Christchurch on Sunday, meaning the 12-strong flag consideration panel outnumbered attendees. Oh dear. Still, the exercise is proving entertaining for adults keen on a little art class.

Below are our favourite flag designs so far.