Kate Middleton's chances of becoming a princess are fading fast, but Chelsy Davy seems to be winning plenty of royal supporters.
Kate, the girl once considered the perfect partner for Prince William, has fallen out of favour, judging by the whisper campaign being waged against her.
Her big mistake, according to senior royal sources, was giving up her job with British fashion chain Jigsaw last year.
They point out that Princess Diana worked up until the day she became engaged to Prince Charles, while Sarah Ferguson, who married Prince Andrew in 1986, and Sophie Rhys-Jones, who married Prince Edward in 1999, both kept their jobs even after their royal weddings.
But Kate, 26, seems to be wasting her art history degree and is just waiting to get an engagement ring on her finger.
Although she was rumoured to be planning a career change - moving to New York to work for fashion photographer Mario Testino - he says bluntly: 'I promise you, she's not.'
Now Kate's become purely a lady of leisure, earning her the cruel nickname 'Waity Katie'.
'She seems to be counting her chickens before they've hatched,' admits Dickie Arbiter, the Queen's former press officer. 'She needs more on her CV than a knowledge of nightclubs.'
Another royal insider adds: 'The knives are out for Kate. Her few years of fame may be coming to an end.'
But while Kate's likeability is heading south, Prince Harry's Zimbabwean-born girlfriend Chelsy, 22, has endeared herself to everyone at court - despite the fact that her fondness for smoking and boozing in clubs has earned her a racy reputation.
Prince Charles is particularly fond of Chelsy, so much so that he's allowed her to stay overnight at his homes in London and Gloucestershire.
Chelsy is in good favour as she worked hard to gain a degree from the University of Cape Town and last year moved to the UK to begin a postgraduate law degree in Leeds.
But their career choices isn't the only thing setting the two potential princesses apart, with courtiers revealing they haven't been impressed by Kate's readiness to pose for photos at high-society events either.
'She always looks like the cat that got the cream,' one says. 'But she shouldn't start lapping it up just yet.'
Conversely, when Chelsy is in public, she scowls, making it clear she doesn't want attention.
Kate's middle-class upbringing has also caused her pain, with some courtiers sneering at her humble origins. Her dad Michael was a pilot and her mum Carole an air hostess. Both now run an online children's party company.
In fact, Carole, 52, was subjected to bitchy comments when she was seen chewing gum at William's passing out parade at Sandhurst in 2006. William was furious and Kate was humiliated by the snobbery.
Meanwhile, Chelsy's father, Charles, who has made millions from his safari company in southern Africa, keeps his family well away from the spotlight - much to the delight of those at Buckingham Palace.
But Kate's biggest downfall is probably her desperate need to become a princess. 'Even if she dived into the sea to save a drowning child, she would be accused of doing it to improve her image,' a London public relations expert says.
Chelsy, on the other hand, doesn't want to rush Prince Harry, 23, down the aisle. She left him for several months last year to travel and again after he went to the rugby instead of her birthday party. When he bombarded her with phone calls and flowers and she learnt he was heading to Afghanistan, she took him back. Then, when he returned, she dashed to his side for a passionate reunion.
And while their romance heats up, Prince William's interest in Kate is waning. They went through a rocky patch last year, with Prince William, 25, calling it quits. Although they made up, they no longer seem to be as besotted with each other.
Prince William is now on a flying course with the RAF and in June will start training with the Royal Navy. Such long stretches away from Kate spells even more disaster for their relationship, which is now mainly conducted on the phone.
And with Prince William saying he won't get married 'until I'm at least 28 or 30', it seems there's a long way to go before Kate fulfils her dream of becoming a princess.
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