TINA'S TELL-ALL TALE OF DIANA DRAWS MIXED RECEPTION

While former Vanity Fair editor Tina, 53, pictured, accompanied by diminutive husband Sir Harold Evans, laughed off remarks by some about how much she resembled Diana, veteran Leftie Tony Benn – protesting “It’s not really my kind of party” – crossed paths with Shadow Chancellor George Osborne and his fellow Tory MP Boris Johnson.

The Queen Mother’s dapper former servant “Backstairs” Billy Tallon said indignantly that he would “never write a book about my time in royal life”, while Elizabeth Emanuel, who co-designed Diana’s wedding dress, enthused about creating gowns for her latest muse, Nancy Dell’Olio.

Meanwhile, lyricist Sir Tim Rice confided that he wasn’t going to emulate his former musical partner Andrew Lloyd Webber and be a reality TV talent judge.

“No, I can’t be bothered. I’ve got better things to do on a Saturday night,” he said of Any Dream Will Do, which chose a new leading man for his and Andrew’s show Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

“I didn’t see many of the programmes as I was abroad but the chap they chose to play Joseph is good.

“But if shows like this get people to the theatre, who haven’t seen the theatre before then it's a good thing."

Other guests included Brown's old flame Martin Amis, Melvyn Bragg, Jane Asher and husband Gerald Scarfe and Prince Charles's former biographer Jonathan Dimbleby.