The Prince of Wales, through the Duchy of Cornwall, has scrapped plans to build a large mansion at Harewood End in Herefordshire, which was due to be completed in 2010.

In its place a substantial, but more modest, 6-bedroomed, eco-friendly property is to be constructed — subject to planning permission.

The house has been widely assumed to be Prince Charles’s future wedding present to Prince William. The scrapping of the mansion for a smaller, quicker-to-build property will increase speculation that wedding plans between William and Kate Middleton are well advanced.

Architect Craig Hamilton said : “The brief from the Duchy of Cornwall was to design a smaller house but still with sufficient architectural presence that is demanded by the adjoining buildings and the landscape.”

It has been known for a while that Prince Charles had commissioned a country house at Harewood End, bought by the Duchy of Cornwall six years ago. For more than a year, a team of architects, builders and restorers has been working on the 900-acre estate.

According to local people in this small corner of Herefordshire, England, the house is to be Prince William’s home after he marries. “This estate is for William and his wife,” said one. “We all know it and it will be perfect for them.”

An interesting snippet in Katie Nichol’s column in The Mail on Sunday reports that her “Palace mole” claims that Kate Middleton is stung by the many accusations that she’s lazy.

Kate has obviously been reading the forums and perhaps Royal Anecdotes, where that seems to be the main topic of interest these days.

The mole says : “Looking at wallpaper and fabrics with a view to doing up a home got her thinking about designing as a profession. A friend is starting a career in interior design and Kate has told her she’s keen to do something in the same field.”

We’ve reported before that Kate has been doing up one of the properties at Harewood Park in Herefordshire, possibly Home Farm. It’s expected that the couple will move in as soon as William finishes his stint at Sandhurst.

One “career” Kate should never take up is house breaking. She was locked out of her London flat last week, with William waiting in the background. Trying his keys, they wouldn’t work either. In the end they gave up and drove off in separate cars. It’s interesting that the Prince has his own keys to her house and flat, even if they don’t seem to work very well.

We are hearing reports that Kate Middleton will set up home with Prince William when they return from their holiday in Africa.

As yet, we don’t know where it will be. Clarence House has been suggested.

It may, of course, be one of the smaller properties on the Harewood estate in Herefordshire which they recently inspected. More likely somewhere in London, where Kate will be near friends when William is on Army duty.

We await this news with interest, not only because it points the way to their future, but also gives an indication of their likely trajectory towards a Royal marriage.

As Prince William and Kate Middleton contemplate a holiday in Africa, reports are coming in that, contrary to earlier indications, the Georgian-style manor house to be built at Harewood Park, may not be William and Kate’s first home after all.

Attention is turning to Grange Farm (pictured) which is also on the extensive Harewood estate and is currently being renovated. The couple are said to have inspected the property, as well as Home Farm at Harewood, and are reported “to be keenly interested”.

A “well-placed source” quoted by the UK Mail on Sunday says : “It has always been assumed that if William were to move on to Harewood it would be into the main house. But both he and Kate are very practically minded and neither of them are particularly fussed about grand houses. At Sandringham they have stayed in a small cottage rather than in the house and they love their cottage retreat [Teapot Cottage] at Balmoral.

“They’re both really country-sloanes at heart. William is very much like his father in that way, and he and Kate have been happiest as a couple when tucked away on an estate somewhere.”

That “pencilled-in” wedding for May/June next year is becoming more feasible by the day.