The Mail on Sunday is reporting that friends of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall say they will marry in May next year. They have been secretly engaged for some months.

Mike and Zara at Cheltenham races earlier this year

The favoured venue, as of now, seems to be St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, with a reception at Frogmore House. Zara and Mike were clearly impressed with the ambience of her brother Peter’s nuptials in May. They will not be repeating the involvement of Hello! magazine, however.

Zara’s father, Mark Phillips, who coaches his daughter in her three-day eventing specialism, has asked her to delay an announcement until after the Beijing Olympics to concentrate on winning a gold medal. Zara has been the European Champion and currently holds the World title.

Any other Royal wedding planned for next year is likely to be in mid-summer to avoid a clash.

As it’s a slow news Sunday here’s a shot of the River Exe I took this morning.

The River Exe at Exeter with two canoeists enjoying the June weather

What’s turning out to be the longest saga in the history of romance has the legs to go on and on.

According to reliable sources, Kate Middleton is now comfortably installed at Clarence House, even though she still keeps an apartment in London with her sister Pippa.

Word on the street is that Kate has put together a gymnasium and workout facility in the heart of the Queen Mum’s old residence.

A Royal aide has explained, “Kate has all her things there [Clarence House] and asked William and Harry if they would allow her to build a gym. She works out for at least an hour a day and loves to stay slim and toned. She and Pippa use the gym all the time because it has great equipment and it’s completely private. She has even had William and Harry doing crunches and press-ups.”

It must seem like home from home when the Princes return at weekends from Army training only to be frogmarched to the gym by Sergeant Major Middleton.

The question hanging in the air now — and romantic sagas always have plenty of those — is, will her superfit, wings-on-his-heels boyfriend invite her to the Lord Mayor’s Sporting Heroes Dinner at the Guildhall on Thursday?

A companion is included on the stiffie. I don’t think he’s going to take Mike Tindall, do you?

A stag do on the Isle of Wight with Prince William and Prince Harry, plus Mike Tindall and a couple of dozen other rowdies was never going to be a sedate affair for Peter Phillips.

Let’s put it this way, I’m glad I’m not one of them right now — Monday morning. At one point Peter was said to have gone AWOL, only to be found slumped in a shop doorway.

Asked later how he was coping with the weekend, he replied ruefully, “I’m still alive.”

Harry said, “It’s been an awesome stag do. It will just take us a while to recover.”

Peter is due to marry Autumn Kelly at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 17. It was probably well advised to hold the pre-nuptial bacchanal well in advance of the event. Let’s hope he recovers in time.

At some point a stag do should have a veil discreetly drawn over the activities of its participants, if only to preserve public decency. As an example, the Daily Mail piece contains more information than many of us might like to know, but read it here if you really want the gory details.

Zara Phillips, looking absolutely stunning (and it’s not often I say that), collected her well-deserved MBE (Member of the British Empire) from the Queen today.

Zara Phillips admiring her MBE

Zara is only the third rider in equestrian history to hold both World and European titles for three-day eventing at the same time.

The occasion was not recorded for public consumption, but we can tell you that Zara executed a deep curtsey as she approached her grandmother, the Queen.

In the front row were her mother, Princess Anne, her rugger man boyfriend, Mike Tindall, her brother, Peter Phillips, and his fiancee, Autumn Kelly.

Another recipient of the award, Dorothy Petticrew, said : “She was showing us how to curtsey and making us all feel relaxed. As we were waiting to go up, she said ‘Oh, why does my mother have to be sitting there?’. Princess Anne kept looking for her coming and peering to see her. It was lovely seeing the mother’s pride. Zara was totally relaxed. She said ‘I’m coming in military style today and it’s very comfortable’.”

Zara and Mike Tindall at Buckingham Palace today

Miss Petticrew added : “She said she would have been happy to receive her award privately but her family wanted her to do it publicly and said ‘Let’s do this right’.”

Zara’s stepfather, Tim Laurence, a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) at the same ceremony.

A good day for the Royal Family, with talented members getting their just rewards.