There’s some intriguing in-depth reporting from Katie Nicholl in the UK Mail on Sunday today. Katie suggests that Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy may be approaching a reluctant parting of the ways.

The problem is that their lives are beginning to diverge so sharply that it’s hard to see how they could continue to keep up their long-distance relationship.

Chelsy will complete her business degree at Cape Town University in November and may opt to study for a postgrad qualification, which may not be based in South Africa.

Prince Harry will soon finish his Army training and, apparently, wants to be posted to Afghanistan, where his regiment The Blues and Royals are already undertaking some reconnaissance duties. This deployment could come as soon as next spring.

It seems they spent hours on the phone last week trying to reconcile their different situations in the aftermath of the armed robbery Chelsy endured in a Cape Town bar.

Chelsy’s parents have apparently asked a friend to scout out a property for her in London, where they believe she will be safer. However, according to the report, Chelsy insists she doesn’t want to live in Britain at all because, “it’s not the place for her”.

A source quoted says : “One of Chelsy’s family friends was in London looking at properties recently. Her parents have a house in Victoria but they wanted a place for Chelsy and her brother. However, Chelsy said no. She doesn’t want to be the centre of press attention, and couldn’t bear the weather.”

Of course, matters of the heart rarely follow the logical route and these sentiments could alter like the wind changing direction. But has clever Chelsy realized that there isn’t a long-term future in the relationship, and might she be taking the view that it’s better to make the break now than allow it to fizzle out over the next year or so?