(*the thrust of all this being the next time Prince Charles talks about getting married, someone really ought to warn the Pope…)

Similarly, there may also be strange-but-true similarities between the iconic 1987 Volkswagen “Changes” Commercial featuring Paula Hamilton as a Princess Diana-esque figure and press speculation concerning Kate Middleton’s recent acquisition of a new Audi A3 .

In the 1987 commercial, Paula Hamilton is seen leaving her husband, posting her wedding ring back through the letterbox and ditching her mink coat, chucking the house keys at the cat, rejecting the fur coat and pearl necklace - but keeping her VW Golf Mk2 car keys. The tagline of the commercial was the eponymous “if only everything in life were as reliable as a Volkswagen”.

Curiously, the current edition of Private Eye magazine (pg 6) speculates on Kate Middleton acquiring a new Audi A3 1.9 tdi in early April 07 and notes coverage in the Daily Mail newspaper which purports that Kate Middleton “managed to negotiate a cut-price deal on her Audi A3 coupe thanks to her royal links”
Given events over the past few days, perhaps the same tagline might well be best applied in this instance too……