So Meghan, the duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a son, and the British and in some cases, the Irish press, which for weeks has been positively giddy with rumour, was freed from its stifling wait for actual news of a royal baby.

She transformed herself effortlessly from ordinary Kate Middleton into a future queen — but for Britain’s most famous new mother, the work has just begun.

AS royal-watchers and wedding fans speculate over details of the royal wedding, bookies are giving people the chance to place a punt on one of the big questions — how long Kate Middleton will make her groom wait?

It’s less than two weeks to the wedding of the year. Allison Pearson looks at Kate Middleton and asks if she can save the royal family.