Prince William is seeking his own personal press secretary. The prestigious appointment begins next year, suggesting that a major “change of use” is set to occur.

Until now William has relied on his father’s press office for spin-doctoring services, but clearly wishes to branch out on his own once he finishes his stint with the Armed Forces. With Prince Charles’s expensive media machine already in situ it’s hard to see why William would need his own office if he were planning to remain at Clarence House next year. The proposed appointment indicates he is planning to set up a home of his own.

The new press officer will cover the Prince’s day-to-day engagements and field questions about his private life. The successful candidate will need to be a top professional with knowledge of Royal affairs and a sensitivity to the political landscape. He or she could expect to receive a handsome remuneration package along the lines of Prince Charles’s arrangements and may even be paid by the Duchy of Cornwall.

With William’s Army career ending in January, it’s doubtful whether SAS officer Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton will continue in his job as his Private Secretary. By some accounts his main role has been keeping the exuberant Prince Harry out of trouble, while facilitating William’s workflow in the military. He may, of course, stay on as Prince Harry’s fixer and troubleshooter.

It looks as if 2009 will be a watershed for the second-in-line to the Throne. The same may be said of Kate Middleton. Even with more time on his hands, it’s unlikely William would set up a new household without Kate. It would inevitably lead to speculation that they had split up again.

The new look for William’s life has all the feel of a well thought-through plan organized by the military — as the best Royal events are.

A newly-independent Prince William, together with Kate, will cut quite a dash on the public scene.

It’s yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum for our sailor Prince as William takes up his two month secondment with the Royal Navy. Let’s hope the title line of that song doesn’t apply too often.

Following his training period at the Britannia Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon, the Prince will join HMS Iron Duke on drugs patrol in the Caribbean.

Full details of the deployment can be found here in the Clarence House briefing.

The RN stint ends in August when he will take a break before rejoining his Army regiment until January. He may be assigned to other duties during this period, since four months in Windsor Barracks would be something of an anticlimax after all that has gone before.

There’s much speculation about the crucial August break in the context of his relationship with Kate Middleton. Readers of Royal Anecdotes will be aware of what that is. We are saying nothing.

In the ancient annals of You Couldn’t Make It Up, the latest reports from what must be the weirdest wedding of the year are, true-to-form, jaw-droppingly inconceivable.

If in my piece yesterday I had speculated that Kate Middleton would go to Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly’s nuptials tomorrow, but boyfriend Prince William would attend a Maasai ceremony in the African bush, you may have suspected my sanity.

Yet that’s what appears to be happening. Both the Mail and the Sun have brought out their top guns to hammer home the news. The Sun’s Duncan Larcombe actually filed his piece in Kenya, possibly undercover and dressed as a Maasai warrior. While the Mail’s Richard Kay and Rebecca English strut their stuff with serious quotes from inside sources.

On balance, and in the absence of more ducking and weaving, we must assume this is correct — provisionally. Where’s the fat lady when you need her?

The Mail has a senior Royal source revealing, “Prince William is going to be out of the country this weekend on a long standing prior engagement. It’s an unfortunate clash but he spoke to his cousin Peter and he is fine with the situation. His girlfriend [Kate Middleton] will be going in his absence.”

A friend of the Prince also said, “It was a difficult decision as Peter and William are very close but the two talked it through. William felt he had to go to Kenya because the Craigs asked him first and it was the fairest thing to do. That’s why William was so keen to go to Peter’s stag party last month.”

It all sounds authentic enough. However, the Sun is reporting that the decision has baffled William’s staff at Clarence House. I can believe that.

If the Maasai do is a long-standing arrangement, dating from before Peter’s announcement, why didn’t William make his excuses at the time and, crucially, let it be known in the public prints? That would have avoided the confused press headlines and pointless speculation of recent weeks.

Of course, it may be that William didn’t make up his mind until the last moment — perhaps pushed to it by the Hello! involvement, as we ourselves have suggested.

Worse, he may be taking advice from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. “Dinee decide until the last minute, laddie. That’s what I do, and look where it got me.”

Royal Anecdotes’s alternative advice is, “Never dither, never try to emulate politicians, if you’re going, go, if you’re not going, don’t. Tell the world, and stick to it.”

This business does not enhance your reputation, Sir.

One welcome enhancement, though, is Kate’s status within the Royal Family. It now seems clear that an official engagement is mapped out to upgrade the unofficial one that many of us have suspected for some time.

Updated 13.05 BST
We are hearing that there’s a lot of muttering about the private nature of tomorrow’s wedding. Many are complaining that to hold the event behind closed doors, while the only public view is through the pages of Hello! magazine, is simply not worthy of the Royal Family. This is unprecedented.

It seems that Peter and Autumn will not venture outside Windsor Castle walls. Only a small group of photographers will be allowed in to photograph them on the chapel steps. They will then take a carriage ride along a secluded route to the reception at Frogmore House, which is inside closed grounds.

This is a poor show all round. Even a “private” Royal wedding should always have an open public face, not one sold to the highest bidder.

Dean Rousewell of The People (UK) is reporting that the Hello! magazine spread of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, prior to their wedding on Saturday, did influence Prince William and Kate Middleton to pull out of the occasion.

“Royal sources say the pair grew wary after Princess Anne’s son and blonde Autumn signed a £500,000 [$1m] deal with celebrity mag Hello!”

A “senior aide” is reported to have told The People, “William and Kate had provisionally agreed to go. But it became obvious there was a danger of the whole thing turning into a disaster. Kate was very concerned about how it would be seen if attention was focused on her. And when William heard about the mag deal his mind was made up. The Queen also thought it was a wise decision. Her motto has always been: ‘Never let light in on the magic’ — the Royals must retain their mystique. A holiday was arranged and William told Peter it was for the best.”

Peter inherited £6m ($12m) in the Queen Mother’s will and has a well-paid job with Royal Bank of Scotland. Autumn is the PA to Michael Parkinson, a broadcasting legend in Britain. They live in a cottage on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe estate.

We have to remember that the previous Royal Editor of The People was jailed for tapping into the mobile phone voicemail of members of the Royal Family, including Prince William.

Does the present incumbent have such impeccable sources? We shall see.

I’m inclined to believe this story though as it matches my own speculation when the news first broke.