Just coming in over the wires :

Prince William’s ship HMS Iron Duke has intercepted a reported £40m ($80m) consignment of cocaine during its anti-drug-smuggling patrols in the Atlantic near Barbados.

In a joint-operation with the U.S. Coastguard, the frigate caught an ocean-going speedboat presumed bound for Europe or West Africa. It’s known that the Navy wants William to play a full part in these operations.

Kate Middleton will be pleased to hear her boyfriend is in the thick of things.

The British Commanding Officer Mark Newland said, “This is a fantastic start to HMS Iron Duke’s North Atlantic deployment. To have had a direct impact on the flow of cocaine into Europe just four days after we arrived in theatre shows the benefit the Royal Navy can have in the area of maritime security and counter drug operations. From the first moment the Lynx helicopter discovered the suspect vessel, my ship’s company, working hand in glove with our U.S. Coast Guard colleagues, turned this opportunity into a certainty and ultimately a successful seizure.”

Interesting that the latest figures show £40m is the annual cost of the Monarchy. Clearly, the Prince is doing his bit to pay that off.

£100 cocktails all round at Boujis tonight.

Why would a young, pleasure-loving Cape Town girl choose the northern, industrial city of Leeds for her postgrad studies?

The oppressive northern weather is clearly getting to Chelsy Davy

Judging by the latest shots of her leaving a London nightspot at 3am, she’s obviously not enjoying her life at the moment.

Leeds has a great history. It was one of the major cotton manufacturing towns in the industrial revolution and has some magnificent municipal architecture to prove it. Nowadays it claims to have a vibrant social and clubbing scene and an impressive university.

However, nothing can disguise the cold, dark climate as winter draws in.

Chelsy is said to be missing her home town in South Africa and the sybaritic pleasures of her gap year, when she spent much of the time on the world’s finest beaches and dancing the night away in hotspot bars.

Her long-term boyfriend, Prince Harry, now an Army officer based at Windsor, is equally unhappy. Refused his wish to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the increasing dangers, he is losing interest in his Army career and spends much of his leisure time in nighclubs carousing with his friends.

Some reports suggest he has asked for a transfer to Catterick Camp in the North of England to be nearer to Chelsy. Both seem to be on the brink of giving up their current situations.

Royal Anecdotes’ advice to Chelsy is to switch from Leeds to a London college, like the LSE. Although she didn’t get the First Class degree she hoped for, I’m sure her connections could twist a few arms.

As for Harry, he might find more traction in his career by following his brother William into short stints with the RAF and Royal Navy.

A few nights ago, Kate Middleton and Prince William were spotted dining at a small Kensington restaurant, Locanda Ottoemezzo, far from their usual haunts.

Wills and Kate leaving Boujis nightclub

They reportedly sat side-by-side at a small table, and “held hands with their faces close together in the candlelight”. William was said to be the more demonstrative, one time holding Kate’s face between his hands.

Another diner said, “It was remarkable because there were other people in the restaurant. My only guess is that they felt comfortable because they were well away from their usual patch and knew nobody would expect to find them there.

“They were certainly very relaxed and there was no one else in their party to spoil the atmosphere. The staff didn’t pester them and none of the other diners bothered them, so I guess the evening worked out.”

More in the line of fire of the paparazzi, they were also seen coming out of Boujis nightclub (pictured). Kate was sporting a ring on a non-inflammatory finger. Could this be one of Diana’s, as reported here last month?

To paraphrase the old Monty Python sketch : one thing’s for sure, this relationship is not a dead parrot.

Normal service is resumed.

It’s Prince William’s 25th birthday today, Midsummer day. A quarter of a century has passed since he came into the world. What a lot has happened in that time. I’m guessing it feels like an aeon to him. As he said last week, time has passed very slowly in the last 10 years.

Today, William gains access to part of the inheritance left to him by his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Her £21m ($42m) estate has been split equally between William and Prince Harry, which, after deducting £8m ($16m) inheritance tax, leaves them around £6.5m ($13m) each.

Diana’s estate was largely made up of stocks and shares, jewellery, a reported £18m ($36m) divorce settlement, dresses and personal items from Kensington Palace.

Some changes have been made to Diana’s will, however. William may now access the income generated by the investment of his cut, believed to be around £250K to £300K ($600K) a year.

Added to the £22K ($44K) he currently earns as a Cornet in the Blues and Royals, it represents quite a few nights out at Boujis and Mahiki, However, sources have said he will not touch the capital of his inheritance yet, since his accommodation, staff and polo playing are paid for by the Duchy Of Cornwall. He also has access to funds left in trust for him by his great grandmother the Queen Mother.

William is said to be spending his birthday training as usual with the Army at Lulworth in Dorset — but don’t rule out a drink in the mess later.

Royal Anecdotes wishes Prince William a very happy birthday and many more to come.