With information coming thick and fast that Kate Middleton is back on the Royal scene, Rebecca English is reporting that sources close to Prince William claim he believes he needs to marry “before Prince Charles becomes King so he can bring up his own family away from the limelight”.

A friend says, “A lot of William’s friends are seriously worried that it is for this reason he has decided to get back with Kate. She has always made clear that she would jump at the chance to rekindle their relationship, which has become an increasingly attractive prospect for William. Even though he has had his fair share of girlfriends it has never been easy for him to get really close to them because it is so difficult for him to give his trust completely. Kate is the one girl who changed all that.”

Apparently, they are keen to make public their renewed commitment to each other, which could be as early as at a polo match today. It seems William has realized that the “grass isn’t greener on the other side”.

We also hear that William has bought Kate a vintage Cartier locket as a sign of his commitment. Another friend comments, “William appears to be feeling the pull of marriage more strongly than ever, even though he was very much in the driving seat when he and Kate split up. That doesn’t mean he intends to walk down the aisle next week but it is now not a question of if, but when. He wants to get married, period.”

Why the change of heart? “It is clear the tenth anniversary of his mother’s death is weighing heavily on his mind. He knows how much she wanted him to marry well and have a happy family life. She was convinced it was the key to making William a great King. But a lot of people — Harry included — think that he is clinging on to the only girl he has ever come close to having a serious relationship with. Harry has said — in his own, unique way — that his brother has made a big mistake ‘dogging back to Kate’. He thinks William is being weak and going for the easy option. At least two wellbred girls have been seriously touted as future royal brides of late but quickly made it clear that they wouldn’t countenance it. Kate, however, is very much available.

“It may sound rather harsh, but he has openly admitted in the past that he wasn’t sure she was ‘the one’ and none of us can see how anything has dramatically changed.”

It appears that Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, has agreed to “take a back seat” this time round. Despite that, the number of people interfering in their lives seems to have risen. Even Prince Harry is getting in on the act.

As they are both 25, surely they are old enough to make up their own minds?

Where next for Royal dumpee Kate Middleton? Will she spread her wings and fly farther and faster than a berth with the Royal Family would have allowed?

It seems so. There’s talk of an offer of PR consultancy work with New York designer Tom Ford.

Kate is said to have told her family thats she’s considering a “temporary” move to New York. Part of the reason is to escape the relentless exposure of media coverage in the UK.

The more intriguing explanation is that she’s exploring the resurrection of her former plans for an online children’s clothing business — something we suggested last week. A spell with a fashion house in the Big Apple would be invaluable for making those international contacts necessary for business success in the 21st century.

Although Kate is said not to consider herself a fashion geek, like all young women she keeps an eye on current trends.

If she makes the move, Kate will certainly take with her the Royal Anecdotes seal of approval. Go for it, gal.

I wasn’t going to write this post as I thought it might be a bit sensitive for some. However, Royal Anecdotes’ readers are grown up so it should not be a problem with them. If the views expressed here seem to contradict earlier pieces, let me explain the distinctions. I don’t believe what happened to Kate Middleton had anything to do with snobbery. It was certainly Realpolitik and, in particular, the preservation of the world’s greatest Royal house.

In the clash of dynasties, who you are is more important than what you are.

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the English Monarchy was for centuries regarded as French by the English people. To this day, some Parliamentary documents are still written in 11th-century Norman French.

When the Elector of Hanover was put on the throne as George I in 1714, he spoke only German. Three hundred years later the British Royal Family is still called “the Germans” by its enemies, despite George V’s name change from Saxe-Coburg to Windsor in the early 20th century.

By contrast, Prime Ministers disappear when they quit office. Most of them leave little trace. The next one may be totally different in type, character and background. But a King needs the right connections on his escutcheon or his perceived failings will reverberate for centuries.

Back in February it was commonly believed that Prince William would announce his engagement to Kate Middleton. Well-connected journalists Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy thought so. Kate herself expected it, we’re told. Most of us thought it was a done deal.

Now they have split up. What went wrong in February?

I have no direct knowledge of what happened, but looking at the situation from a Royal historical perspective — which won’t be understood by many in these democratic times — I believe the following scenario prevailed :

On the 22nd of December, Christopher Wilson wrote an article in the Daily Mail about his researches into Kate Middleton’s lineage. He called the piece, “Kate, the Coal Miner’s Girl“.

It was around then that the atmosphere cooled dramatically. Kate didn’t go to Sandringham for Christmas. William didn’t turn up at the Middleton’s Scottish retreat for New Year, and a tension was perceptible between them. After a few month’s grace, the relationship was called off.

Undoubtedly, many words have been spoken in private — words we’ll never hear, nor should they ever be released into the public domain. This is not about snobbery or personal superiority, or even about Carole Middleton. The public will judge it as such, of course, but in fact it goes way beyond that.

It is essentially about dynastic survival. Were William to marry Kate — as personally suitable as she is — the House of Windsor would be changed forever.

The aristocracy can be very curt about lineage, especially the lesser families. European Royalty is particularly cutting about alliances not seen to be Royal. You can imagine a future European Royal occasion in which the hosts sigh and say, “Do we have to invite the coal miners?”

Left-wing rags would stop writing about “the Germans” and adopt the same term instead. In the clash of dynasties the House of Windsor would be diminished forever.

A country can always change its Prime Minister or President. Britain will even survive the depredations of Tony Blair. But once the Royal house is marked by genetic inheritance, it’s judged by that forever.

I believe that is what happened between late December and February. I may be wrong, but we’ll never know the truth of the case. The Royal Family keeps its secrets well, as it should.

This is not about the Middletons personally, but the long timelines of Royal inheritance. At the level of Monarchs, times don’t change much.

The discredited story that snobbery played a part in the breakup between Kate Middleton and Prince William is still raging in the press.

Carole Middleton with Kate

Yesterday, Prince William and the Palace moved to quash this damaging accusation. Clarence House has also said that Kate’s family had nothing to do with the break-up.

A senior source commented, “The story of the split is being twisted into a character assassination on Carole Middleton. This is unfair and motivated by snobbery and envy.”

Meanwhile, the state of Carole Middleton’s health is giving cause for concern. A friend is quoted as saying, “Carole is at breaking point. She is in such a bad way that Kate has had to comfort her. It is so unfair that someone has got the knives out for Kate’s mum. She is an innocent party. Carole has worked all hours to make a success of Party Pieces and support her family.”

It is understood that Kate’s father has booked a last-minute holiday in the Caribbean to get her away from the atmosphere at home. A friend said, “Kate is not going with her parents to the Caribbean because she is concerned about the signals that would send. It was an amicable split and Kate is relaxed about the decision.”

The fallout from the split is likely to resonate for some weeks to come.