Black Rod snubbed after PM row
The row over Tony Blair's role at the Queen Mother's lying-in-state flared again today when the senior official who clashed with Downing Street was left off a special honours list.
Black Rod, Lieutenant General Sir Michael Willcocks, was a notable omission from the list which saw honours awarded to more than 20 other people involved in the funeral.
Tory MPs said Sir Michael's nonappearance gave cause for concern and some at Westminster interpreted the move as a Downing Streetinspired snub.
Officially the honours list, to commemorate the Queen Mother's death, is in the gift of the Queen, and No10 plays no part in it. But there were suspicions today that Buckingham Palace officials felt unable to include Sir Michael's name because, had they done so, it would have been seen as a signal that the Palace was backing him against the Prime Minister.
The affair harked back to the damaging row over the lying-in-state arrangements, which saw Mr Blair face accusations he had tried to " muscle in" on the ceremonial at Westminster Hall.
Downing Street officials were said to have badgered Black Rod's office with calls to try to ensure a bigger role for the Prime Minister - claims denounced as "lies" by No10.
It took the rare step of taking three publications which published the claims - the Evening Standard, the Mail on Sunday and the Spectator - to the Press Complaints Commission.
However, the case was dropped after Black Rod appeared ready to back up the newspapers' claims, in what was seen as a humiliating climbdown for the Prime Minister's office.
The man responsible for drawing up the list is understood to be Sir Robin Janvrin, the Queen's Private Secretary, who has made efforts to build bridges between the Palace and Downing Street.
A Palace spokesman said: "The Queen makes the appointments as a personal gift."
A Downing Street spokesman said: "We are not involved in the compilation of this list. There is no advice, recommendation or consent from No10."
While Black Rod's name was omitted, 21 service personnel who bore the Queen Mother's coffin or were members of the gun carriage party received either the Royal Victorian Order or the Royal Victorian Medal.
Former shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe said: "We in Parliament were all very impressed by the way Black Rod handled the funeral. It is a role which deserves recognition."
