Britain:British prime minister Tony Blair yesterday called for the media to leave Prince William and his former girlfriend, Kate Middleton, alone following the highly public ending of their four-year relationship.
As Ms Middleton (25) spent the weekend privately with her parents at their home in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire, the prince, second in line to the throne, returned to his regiment in Dorset, after a Friday night visit to a London nightclub.
The prime minister said on the BBC's Politics Showyesterday: "I think in respect of Prince William, they are a young couple. We have had the announcement, fine. They should be left alone now, without reams of stuff being written that I can assure you, from my experience of royal stories, most of which will be complete nonsense. I think now it has been announced they should be allowed to get on with their lives."
The couple's decision to split was said in weekend reports to have followed discussions before Easter with senior members of the royal family.
Ms Middleton and the prince met as students at St Andrews in 2001 and later shared a student house, but had been seen together in public much less frequently in recent weeks.
Ms Middleton, the daughter of Michael and Carole Middleton, who have a company supplying accessories for children's parties, had been regarded as an eligible, level-headed potential partner for the prince, even though she did not come from a royal or aristocratic background. Yesterday, there were reports that her mother had been looked down on by some members of William's circle of friends.
Last month, Ms Middleton complained for the first time to the Press Complaints Commission of harassment by photographers as she left her flat in Chelsea, and the editor of the Daily Mirrorapologised after his paper published a photograph of her.
The London Metropolitan police would not comment on whether Ms Middleton would now be given special protection. It was unclear, too, whether the car that she had on lease for publicity purposes would be withdrawn.
Woolworths announced, with relief, that while its designs for commemorative wedding souvenirs, including tea towels, mouse mats, mugs, plates and mobile phones had been drawn up, they had not been put into production. The likelihood of a wedding had at one stage been quoted by bookmakers at three to one.
Clarence House, the Prince of Wales's London residence, declined to comment on reports that William's grandfather, Prince Philip, had told him to marry or end the relationship. During an interview three years ago, he said: "I am too young to marry at my age. I don't want to get married until I am at least 28 or maybe 30."
Publicist Max Clifford said: "Everybody is trying to find out why it happened. Her friends will be approached by everybody, asking: how does she feel, what's gone on and what do you know? And it will be the same for her and everybody she is seen with.
"The next boyfriend will get a massive amount of attention. Of course, everybody is going to speculate who's the next one going to be; it's an opportunity for massive media coverage.
"She would never do it - I am sure she wouldn't even dream of doing it - but she's in that position of being the hottest kiss-and-tell property in history. I've already had contacts from various national newspapers saying if she comes to you, tell us."
- (Guardian service)