THE Senedd was abuzz on Tuesday morning as the Queen, with Princes Philip and Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in tow, popped down the M4 to cut the ribbon on the new Assembly term.

While HRH has a very busy diary, 11.40am on a Tuesday morning seemed a bit of an odd time to hold what is ultimately a pretty significant event for Wales.

Imagine the crowds if she had come down during school half term or on a weekend.

As it happened there was a decent crowd, but far short of the numbers who might often turn out for these things.

Maybe whoever books these things should think ahead a little more in future.

THE return to politics of former Tory MP and occasional game show contestant Neil Hamilton has been the talk of the Senedd since May 5.

Even Nigel Farage wasn’t too pleased when Mr Hamilton – veteran of such high-brow television programmes as The Weakest Link, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Da Ali G Show – beat out leader of the party’s Welsh branch Nathan Gill as chief of its Senedd group.

And it’s been a case of buy one celeb, get another one free, when he appointed his wife and self-styled ‘Brit battleaxe’ Christine to run his affairs.

Ever the showman, Mr Hamilton wasted no time in making waves, using his first-ever speech in the Senedd to make an ill-judged sexist jibe towards Plaid leader Leanne Wood and sole remaining Liberal Democrat AM Kirsty Williams – two of Wales’ most prominent female politicians.

He since issued that most well-worn of non-apologies by saying he didn’t mean to upset anyone.

Maybe he thought he was back in Westminster, where MPs shout and jeer at each other like a group of lagered-up rugby players.

Affairs in the Senedd are far more civilised. There’s the odd bit of talking over each other and the occasional cheeky jibe, but it’s a far cry from Parliament.

If Mr Hamilton continues like he started, he’ll keep getting the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.

Meanwhile we’re left wondering what’s next for Nathan Gill, by all accounts one of the more measured and reasonable Ukippers.

Before the election the new AM for North Wales said he would step down as Wales MEP if he was elected to the Senedd.

But this was when all and sundry assumed he would be handed the leadership of the Senedd group.

After being roughly shoved out by his new colleague, could he be reconsidering his position?

THE Wales Bill has reared its head again, with members of the esteemed Welsh press treated to an early morning briefing with Welsh secretary Alun Cairns bright and early on Tuesday morning.

Needless to say the timing wasn’t ideal with none other than our monarch herself on her way down the M4 the same morning, but your fearless politics reporter got up a whole hour early to hear what sweeping changes had been made to the bill, which seems to have been in progress since woolly mammoths roamed the streets of Newport.

Mr Cairns – new to the role after the fabulously bearded Stephen Crabb was given Iain Duncan Smith’s old job of work and pensions secretary – claimed the whole thing ought to be done and dusted by this time next year.

I’ll believe it when I see it.