There is a certain category of celebrity which means you get news coverage when you die; just look at Michael Jackson. But in order to do this news agencies work out ahead of time who is so important they merit special coverage. For the BBC, there are four people whose deaths are so significant they interrupt all channels, not just the news, for an announcement: the Queen, her husband, Prince Charles and Prince William. This is category 1.

The next category includes some other minor royals who wouldn’t be missed, and some key world figures:  US President Obama, the Dalai Lama, the Pope, the guy who ended the Cold War, and… Bob Dylan? Yes, the only musician (left?) on the next stage is the king of ‘musicians who can’t sing a note, but can sure as hell can write’. Surely there must be some mistake and Bono should be listed? Ahem.