Madam, – I deplore the sexist and anti-republican sentiments behind the headline “Royal wedding on way as patient Middleton finally gets her prince” (Home News, November 17th). Furthermore, if The Irish Times is going to get into the business of “watching” the “royal” family of another country then you might at least get it right. Ms Middleton will not be the first “commoner” to marry the heir to the British throne since Anne Hyde. William is not the heir to the throne – his father is. Furthermore, the last “commoner” to marry an heir to the throne is his mother – in the British way of things she had a courtesy title by virtue of her father’s peerage – Lady Diana – but was legally a commoner herself (incidentally, she never became Princess Diana – she was Princess Charles – as is Camilla).
Ms Middleton may well be the first person (to marry a future British king) whose father is a commoner at the time of the marriage since Anne Hyde, but that is a slightly different thing. (Anne Hyde’s father, Sir Edward Hyde, was subsequently “raised” to the peerage and ultimately became an earl). – Yours, etc,