The Countess of Wessex, formerly Sophie Rees-Jones, is said to be discreetly back working at RJH, the public relations agency she co-founded. Sophie still retain a shareholding valued at £2 million in the company and sits on the board.

After criticism of her commercial role at RJH, and an embarrassing incident in which she was taken in by a fake sheik who was found to be a News of the World journalist and induced her to slag off various politicians, she agreed to become a full-time Royal with a stipend from the Queen.

Her husband, Prince Edward, also withdrew from a business career when his TV production company went out of business with millions of pounds of debt.

Now it seems, the high cost of maintaining thier enormous residence, Bagshot Park, leased from the Crown Estates, plus a new member of the family, Lady Louise, has persuaded Sophie to look towards her business once more.

So far it’s been very low key, but expect flak when certain Labour backbenchers get hold of it.