But bearing her lesson in mind, and in the spirit of Christmas peace and goodwill, I feel moved today to make what may be a most unpopular suggestion: shouldn't we try to be a bit kinder to Prince Andrew – or, failing that, at least a little fairer?.
Much to my surprise, I felt a pang of sympathy for him over his withdrawal from yesterday's traditional Christmas lunch at the Palace for the extended Royal Family, apparently after pressure from on high and a quiet word from his ex-wife, Fergie.
This is hardly an offence deserving total ostracism, writes Tom Utley] Well, I can't pretend that I've always abided by my mother-in-law's stricture in newspaper columns I've written over the years.
Her point was that people like me attach too much weight to intelligence, treating it as a virtue akin to goodness when we ought to see it as a mere accident of birth.
I don't know about you but I find something ugly about the lynch mob gleefully descending on him, yet again, this time over his embarrassing association with a man now suspected of being a Chinese spy.
