Updated 16.15 GMT : Contrary to earlier reports, Kate Middleton was at Prince William’s award ceremony at RAF Cranwell today. The BBC has some intimate footage of the golden couple walking along a corridor at the base. Kate looks stunning in her trademark white coat, and the pair seem every bit the fond, engaged twosome. The fact that they allowed such shots suggests their story is moving up a notch or two.

Prince William and Kate at RAF Cranwell

It was all over in an instant. Prince William walked up to the stage at RAF Cranwell and received his flying insignia from his father, the Prince of Wales — who himself had won it back in 1971.

After a four-month attachment with the RAF — normal officer-training takes four years — Flying Officer Wales gained his cherished Wings this morning. The training was to familiarize him with the ethos and methods of the flying service to prepare him for the role of Commander in Chief when he ascends the Throne as King. He also learned to fly fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

This wasn’t a Passing Out Parade as we saw at Sandhurst, more like a simple awards ceremony. A proud Kate Middleton watched with obvious delight from the floor, accompanied by William and Harry’s Private Secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton and their aunt Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who must have been relieved to attend something other than Diana’s inquest.

Prince Charles also bewinged 20 other students at the ceremony.

The night before, a dinner was held at RAF Cranwell, attended by both Princes and the Duchess of Cornwall, to celebrate the achievements of the new young flying officers.

Prince William and Prince Harry have issued a statement about the outcome of the six-month Inquest into the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Prince William and Prince Harry at Diana’s funeral in 1997

The jury found that Henri Paul, the driver of the car in which Diana and Dodi Fayed died, was guilty of “unlawful killing” by “gross negligence” for being under the influence of alcohol and driving too fast. The paparazzi photographers who followed the car were effectively guilty of “manslaughter”.

The Princes’ statement is as follows :

We should like to thank the members of the Jury at the Inquests into the deaths of our mother and Dodi Al Fayed for the thorough way in which they have considered the evidence. We agree with their verdicts, and are both hugely grateful to each and every one of them for the forbearance they have shown in accepting such significant disruption to their lives over the past six months.

Both of us are much indebted to the Coroner, Lord Justice Scott Baker, for his unfailing courtesy, and for all the consideration shown by him and his staff not only to us but to all those involved in this hearing. We are particularly grateful to Trevor Rees, and to others who came forward to give evidence – in many cases reawakening their painful and personal memories.

Finally, the two of us would like to express our most profound gratitude to all those who fought so desperately to save our mother’s life on that tragic night.

I think most of us would agree with the sentiments expressed.

As we suggested last week, the Queen has cancelled her Diamond Wedding Anniversary party at The Ritz.

The regal hotel would not confirm Royal Anecdotes’s suspicions that the event “has been quietly dropped” as it never comments on private bookings. Now we know that Her Majesty has put the party to one side because of the growing financial crisis in the British economy and the spectre of a recession, or worse.

The Mail on Sunday reports that the Monarch feels it would be “inappropriate” to hold a lavish celebration with the country on the brink of recession.

Guests would have been served champagne from crystal-studded bottles and dined off tablecloths covered with sparkling jewels, it is said. “Her highlighting of the dire state of the economy will not be welcomed by the Prime Minister [Gordon Brown], who faces daily reminders from his advisers that the electorate has lost the ‘feel-good’ factor and is punishing him for it in the opinion polls.”

A friend of the Royal couple commented, “It is a great shame, but the Queen does not want to be seen to be doing something so elaborate at a time of such economic gloom. [She] decided to cancel the party because of the very real prospect that the country is about to go through a major recession.”

Downing Street is apparently still sore about the mix-up when the accident-prone Gordon Brown sloped off from a photo-opportunity with the Queen and President Sarkozy before the Windsor Castle State banquet for the French party. They blamed Palace officials for sending him the wrong way.

The friend remarked, “With everyone else having money woes at the moment, the Queen decided to cancel. She thought it wouldn’t be a great example for her to set.”

It seems a sensible decision in the circumstances.

In the last genuine hurricane to hit the British Isles, in 1987, many of the great country estates, including historic Royal lands, were left looking like the aftermath of the Battle of the Somme.

Now, after the mildest and most benign winter I can remember, we are to suffer another great storm — according to the Met Office. Conditions will deteriorate through today and tomorrow — it’s already very gusty — until we get the full fury of it during Sunday night and Monday morning. The advice is to remain indoors throughout. What else would we do? Take a leisurely stroll in the park?

Last time, many great trees were lost right across southern England and parts of the Midlands. Some treasured landscapes were decimated of woodland and forest.

Nature has now recovered, but faces a repeat performance over the next 48 hours. Already wind speeds of 250mph are reported in the Atlantic jetstream, five miles up. Air travellers from America to Britain and Europe may be surprised how quickly they get here. The reverse journey could be a nightmare.

We shall be battening down the hatches here at Royal Anecdotes — we seem to be right in its path and, being so near to the coast, may experience flooding. The highest tides of the year are predicted to coincide with the high winds.

Hold on to your coronets, we’re in for a bumpy ride.