The Prince's Boiled Eggs

For my increasing and loyal band of American readers, I should explain that a book by our television presenter Jeremy Paxman - aka The Great Paxo and The Supreme Paxometer - has claimed that Prince Charles, on returning from a day's hunting, likes a boiled egg done just so. His flunkies, therefore, provide a row of seven eggs from which he can choose. This has earned a stern denial from the Prince's staff and Paxo the Magnificent has shown signs of backing down. There seems to be some confusion about whether the perfect egg is soft or hard, but doubtless this will be clarified in due course. All of which says a great deal about the state of our nation. But I have lost the will to live - partly because my friend Nige has just told me that the National Health Service will account for 0.3 per cent of world GDP by 2008 - and you will have to work it out for yourselves.