It seems that members of the British royal family have been acting as expert advisers to Princess Madonna of Ciccone.

The great personage is in the process of developing a film based on the life of Mrs Wallis Simpson, the divorcee who triggered the abdication of Edward VIII, starring ubiquitous up-and-comer Andrea Riseborough.

Among those offering advice are, apparently, Prince Edward (the theatrical one), Princess Michael of Kent (the pushy one) and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (that’s what Wikipedia is for).

Fans of Mrs Simpson can see plenty of their idol this winter. Gillian Anderson plays her in Channel 4's adaptation of William Boyd's Any Human Heart. In The King's Speech, a highly praised study of George VI starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter, Eve Best takes on the role.