Reports are reaching us that Kate Middleton visited Prince William at Sandhurst over the weekend. Insiders are stressing the significance of the invitation to inspect the military college, fuelling speculation of a Royal engagement.

Kate, 23, sat with Prince Charles at a service in Sandhurst chapel before joining Prince William and others for lunch.

An observer commented: “William was delighted and proud to show Kate round. They seemed besotted with each other. It was the first time she has visited Sandhurst since he began his officer training.”

Clarence House has apparently insisted that the Prince will not discuss their relationship until he leaves the Army. William is expected to complete at least four years before considering an engagement.

A source in The People, a UK Sunday newspaper said: “William finds all the talk of an imminent engagement laughable. He takes his relationship with Kate extremely seriously. But he knows his service career will occupy most of his time. He does not wish to play the field — he simply does not believe in pledging his future to somebody he then ends up spending very little time with. Sandhurst is the first big test of their relationship. Kate, like William, is perfectly happy to take things slowly.”

Clearly, this story will run and run.

Twenty odd years ago, David Bermingham, then a gunner in the Royal Artillery, was present at the Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst Military Academy. It’s reported that he even shook hands with the Queen.

Now, he faces extradition to the U.S. on fraud charges. The “Enron Three”, which include Bermingham, are bankers at NatWest who have been accused of a £4.2m fraud in connection with the Enron scandal.

They claim that what they’re accused of isn’t a crime in the UK. However, new fast-track extradition procedures mean they can be bundled off to American justice without a hearing in a British court. The trick doesn’t work in reverse, though, as the U.S. hasn’t ratified the treaty.

Boris Johnson writes in the Daily Telegraph: “It just seems to be give, give, give, this Special Relationship. And that is why, if Tony Blair is casting around for something he might ask by way of requital for his devotion, I have a suggestion. It is that the Americans should stop treating this country like a vassal state, whose citizens can be whisked off for trial - without any evidence as to their crime — in the territory of the imperial power.”

David Bermingham can probably feel mistreated in this case. The Queen is reported to be taking an interest too.

Princess Beatrice, 17, and her parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, were warned this weekend of the alleged unsuitability of her new boyfriend, Paolo Liuzzo.

Liuzzo, 24, described as an American socialite, is said to be Beatrice’s “first real boyfriend”. He has just returned from a skiing holiday with Beatrice and her parents, who apparently approve of the romance.

Kevin Haskell, a Wall Sreet investment banker, has told a British national newspaper that Beatrice’s family should be aware that Liuzzo has a criminal record in the States that could easily have involved manslaughter.

Haskell described how he watched his friend die in a brawl with Liuzzo. “Paolo is seven years older than Beatrice. That is a big age difference for someone as young as her. I would hate for someone like him to tarnish her.

“When I heard he’s been to Verbier with the Royal family it made me feel sick to my stomach. My friend Jonathan will never get to go skiing. He will never get to have a girlfriend, let alone a Royal one.

“I hope Beatrice and her parents know what sort of man she’s involved with. He might say he’s changed, but I don’t believe him. Is this the sort of person the Royal family wants in their midst? I saw him in court and I didn’t see any genuine sorrow or remorse.”

Liuzzo claimed the death was “a horrible accidents” and that he has changed since the days when he was off the rails.

Beatrice seems to have inherited her mother’s flair at picking men.

At his monthly press conference at 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was asked about Prince Charles and whether, as some say, he interferes in Government business. After a rueful joke, he went on to give the Prince his support:

“I think Prince Charles does an amazing job for the country,” he said. “He’s perfectly entitled to express his views and personally I find no problem with it at all.

“It is completely unreasonable not to expect that he has views or that he trasmits them to Government ministers, but they are not views that I have ever, ever, regarded as party political.”

The Lord Chancellor, Charlie Falconer, was only a little less understanding: “It is perfectly appropriate for somebody in the Prince’s position to have views about the countryside, climate change, about big environmental issues.”

However: “There is obviously a line where it gets party political. It would be inappropriate for the Monarch to cross that particular line.”

Other Government ministers and Labour backbenchers have been less generous to the Prince, who has probably achieved more good in the world than all of them put together.