London - As Britain's Prince William embarked on an officer's career in the army, his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton caught the news headlines with a radiant and knowing smile.
Prince William during combat training. Prince William graduated from Sandhurst 15 December 2006 when he commissions as an officer in the Army. The Queen will take the Sovereign's Parade and give a speech at the Royal Military Academy in Camberley, Surrey. EPA/Ministry of Defence/Clarence Hou
Middleton, who turns 25 on Tuesday, has been dubbed the 'new Diana' since 10 police officers were summoned last week to protect her from photographers as she emerged from a London nightclub with her prince.
While William, 24, and his father Prince Charles, fear that Middleton could be hounded as relentlessly by the paparazzi as Diana was, the British public are thrilled by the prospect of a happy liaison in the House of Windsor.
Speculation has been rife that William, who joined the Household Cavalry regiment of the Blues and Royals Monday, would pop the question before starting his army career.
Kate, meanwhile, has shown some aptitude in directing her dashing smile at photographers as she leaves her flat in London's posh Chelsea district to work for a leading fashion chain.
Middle-class Kate, commentators have observed, has recently transformed her image from a shy 'country bumpkin' to a well-groomed and self-confident city girl.
But despite the press excitement over the increased police escort for Kate, it appears that William, rather than popping the question, just enjoyed a few nights out with his girl before succumbing to the rigours of army life.
However, Kate's high profile must nonetheless be taken as a clear indication of her growing - if not complete - acceptance by the royal family.
She not only regularly spends holidays with William but also attended his military passing out parade, where Queen Elizabeth II was present, and shares weekends with him on the queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland.
But then, William and Kate are student mates. They have been 'romantically involved' since William invited her to a water polo ball at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, at Christmas 2003.
Both studied history of art, shared student accommodation and drank in the bars of the austere university town on the east coast of Scotland.
Kate, reported to have been a talented and popular pupil at her old private school, Malborough College in Wiltshire, south-west England, is said to have persuaded the prince to continue his studies when he considered leaving university after his first year.
But despite her privileged education, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton is solidly middle-class, carrying none of the upper class attributes that marked Diana's descent from the aristocratic Spencer family dating back to at least the 16 century.
Kate's father, Michael, runs a mail-order business for requisites for children's parties, while her mother, Carole, was seen relentlessly chewing gum at the Sandhurst parade she also attended.
Royal commentators believe that, at a time of growing indifference towards the monarchy, someone like Kate could help reinvigorate the House of Windsor.
'Kate would fit easily into the new style of European royals. The royal dynasties have learned that middle-class blood reinvigorates the institution of monarchy, because people can relate to it,' British historian and royal watcher Andrew Roberts said.
Roberts believes that the age of 'fairytale romances' like that of Prince Charles and Diana has long passed, and that the British royals, following their own bruising experience with tragedy and divorce, are more than ever prepared to look to other European royals as their role model.
The Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and Spanish crown princes had all married non-royals, middle-class career women with university degrees, Roberts pointed out.
The 'most impressive' European royal role model for Kate would be Spain's Princess Letizia, who had a successful career as a journalist before she married Crown Prince Felipe, said the historian.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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