Famous Matryoshka doll artist visits Edinburgh

Tanya Andreeva

By Cara Sulieman

A SOUGHT after Russian artist who has even sold her artwork to the Royal family is on a flying visit to Scotland to show off her skills.

Tanya Andreeva has been painting Matryoshka dolls for 19 years and is the most collected artist for them in the UK.

Visiting her friend Zoya Beaton, Tanya will be demonstrating her skills in The Russian Shop in Edinburgh until Thursday.

With people queuing up to buy her intricate designs, the 49-year-old has even sold a small five doll set to Buckingham Palace.

Is the Queen a bluenose Rangers fan?

By Michael MacLeod

THE Queen has a picture of the Rangers football squad hanging on the walls of Buckingham Palace.

A Glasgow MP was stunned to discover the framed photo during a tour of Her Majesty’s home.

Now Labour’s Ian Davidson is probing to find out whether Queen Elizabeth is a closet fan of the Ibrox outfit.

Even after yesterday’s (Sunday) old firm showdown with Celtic, the discovery set Rangers internet fan forums ablaze with celebration.

Mr Davidson couldn’t believe his eyes when he stumbled across the squad photo during a trip for MPs last month.

He said: “I couldn’t find out if it belongs to the Queen, Prince Philip, another member of the Royal family or maybe another member of staff.

“It may well be that there are secret supporters of Rangers among the Royals.

“I don’t know if any of them has a season ticket for Ibrox but I’m sure if they wanted to see any of the players in the flesh arrangements could be made.”

Mr Davidson’s Glasgow South West ward takes in Ibrox stadium, where some sections of Gers fans already refer to their team as “the Queen’s 11.”

He was at the London palace as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, inspecting how the Crown spends its maintenance budget.

He told of how he came across team photo while browsing the grand galleries inside the Royal household.

He said: “We made our way through the main entrance and up the grand stairways and spectacular galleries with the collection of Old Masters.

“As we went towards the roof we passed by a room where I spotted the photograph of the Rangers squad hanging on a wall.

“I couldn’t tell if it was a current team photo but it was definitely Rangers as the club name was printed across the top.”

Stunned to find what he thinks is evidence of what many Rangers long suspected, Mr Davidson asked the Royal tour guide what the photo was doing there.

Mr Davidson said: “And at the committee meeting a short time later I told the Keeper of the Privy Purse that the only picture I recognised was that of the Rangers team.

“He laughed and replied it probably wasn’t part of the Royal Collection and hadn’t been adequately catalogued.

“But he added he would certainly look into it, so it might appear as part of the Royal Collection at a later date.”

Graeme Souness is said to have hung a picture of the Queen on the team dressing room wall when he became Rangers manager in 1986.

The late Queen Mother made a visit to Ibrox in 1938.