New & Noteworthy: Branagh: royal obsession?

Fast-forward 15 years, and Branagh’s in demand at the Palace again. New York Post gossip queen Liz Smith reports that Prince William is determined to appear on the stage. He wants to start at the top — in “The Play,” a piece written and directed by Branagh. And while he’s at it, Wills would like to have Gwyneth Paltrow as his leading lady, thank you very much.
No word on how Ken feels about all this (happy, we’re sure) but we hear that the queen is not amused. She probably can’t imagine why her grandson would want to waste his time int he theater when there are so many supermarket ribbons that need cutting.