Across the pond, in frugal England -- Now that the Tories have come to power at 10 Downing Street and have begun their Ebenezer Scrooge act of down-sizing government, cutting pensions and tossing grand mum and old auntie into the dustbin, the word has gotten to the palace, and that great and noble lady, the Queen, Elizabeth II, has decided to recycle her royal gowns, and more important, has decided to let the world and the old grand mums living in the dustbin know. Maybe they can recycle their food?

Headline in the world news -- "Queen wears 'recycled' dress to banquet in Toronto!" Toronto, Canada? Well, they are just Canadians! Would they have noticed? Ah, but the recycled dress thing is for the British press to sup up like gravy.

The London Telegraph dutifully reports that the ''recycled'' gown was decorated with Swarovski crystals, was originally worn to a state dinner in Trinidad and Tobago last autumn, and had been decorated with that country's national birds - the scarlet ibis and cocrico.

Somewhere in some museum in Britain are a fine collection of royal gowns. Maybe the British queen on her next trip to America could wear one of Queen Victoria's dresses?