In July 2003, Romanian prime minister Adrian Nastase sent his two sons, 17-year-old Andrei and 11-year-old Mihnea, on a three week holiday in London. "I wanted them to make contact with European civilization," he explained. "I thought it was important for them to go to Britain."

What did the boys think of their contact with European civilization? Not much. They were soon bombarding their father with calls asking to be flown home. "They told me they haven't learnt anything new," he recalled, "and that they have problems with the atmosphere there -- and that they don't like the girls."