Single and royally ready to mingle

Britain's Sun newspaper reports today that Prince William, 24, and girlfriend Kate Middleton, 25, have ended their four-year relationship, dashing hopes of a royal wedding. The newspaper blames the split on huge pressures faced by the young couple and by William's career in the army. The second in line to the throne graduated from Sandhurst military academy in December and is undergoing further training at an army base in rural England.

Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine (slogan: "The Quality Royal Magazine"), said the couple's relationship had reached an impasse: ''They can't go forward because William is in the army and he's dedicated the next few years of his life to that, so he's not in a position to get married.''

Confidential to the Prince: I'll wait until you're better positioned!