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Bets back on for royal wedding
07/07/2007 09:08 - (SA)
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| Prince William and Kate Middleton seen at Twickenham Stadium in February 2007. (AFP)
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London - The bets were back on Friday and the printed tea towels and painted china to mark Britain's next royal wedding came out of their boxes amid reports that Prince William and Kate Middleton had "definitely rekindled" their romance.
The pair, both 25, announced a shock split in April, amid rumours that Middleton bemoaned a "lack of commitment" from her boyfriend of four years, and vicious reports that she had not met the "class standards" expected from a consort of a future British king.
But Kate, Wills and the royal palace kept their lips firmly sealed over the reasons for the split, which had been preceded by Kate's relentless pursuit by paparazzi photographers reminiscent of the days of the late Princess Diana.
"Only when they took a step back did they have space to examine how they really felt about each other," the Sun newspaper quoted an anonymous source as saying Friday.
Twelve weeks after the split, they were "closer than ever."
"William has persuaded Kate that the problems of dating a future king are a price worth paying," said the Sun.
News of the rekindled romance immediately reignited speculation about a wedding date.
No engagement before January 2009
But with William currently serving in the army, and Kate having started a job in fashion, a royal engagement would not be on the cards before January, 2009, when William is due to leave the army.
After graduating from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in December 2006, and joining the regiment of the Blues and Royals, William is currently undergoing training to become a troop commander in an armoured reconnaissance unit at Bovington Camp, in Dorset, south-west Britain.
Kate, who has a degree in History of Art, has taken a job as an accessories buyer with a leading High Street fashion chain, Jigsaw.
After leaving the army, William, the oldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, is expected to work in finance and business while preparing to be a full-time "working royal."
Bookmakers kept busy
The couple met as students at St Andrew's University in Scotland, and had been together for four years.
Following the fresh speculation, bookmakers in London were kept busy on Friday, saying that the odds that the pair would marry had closed at 1-3.
There are now odds of 10-1 that the couple will get engaged before the end of this year, 4-1 that they will announce plans to tie the knot in 2008 and 2-1 for 2009.
"We thought the pair had split for good. But punters clearly had more faith than the bookies," said Nick Weinstock of bookmakers Ladbrokes.
"It's now a case of when and not if. Their wedding day will cost us a packet," he said. - dpa
- SAPA
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