RICHARD EDEN: Love at last for Kate and Wills' royal romance 'decoy' Bryony Daniels

She came to public attention the best part of 25 years ago when, as an undergraduate at St Andrews University, she regularly sauntered into geography lectures alongside a young Prince William.

Given that the spirited and striking Bryony Daniels is the daughter of a Suffolk landowner – also owner of the Strathvaich Estate in the Highlands – observers concluded that they were witnessing the beginning of a captivating and entirely 'suitable' royal romance.

It was, in fact, a deception campaign, with Bryony gamely playing the part of decoy, thereby allowing William and Catherine Middleton to enjoy each other's company away from prying eyes – an act of loyalty which the couple rewarded by inviting her to their wedding. But now Bryony, 43, who, like Catherine, 44, also took part in a university fashion show, is celebrating a much richer, infinitely more personal reward – her own engagement.

She posted a snap of her sparkler online and a formal announcement that she's to be married.

Displaying the playful, self-deprecating character in evidence at uni, her post was accompanied by the Etta James song At Last.

Her fiance is Adair Williams, 42 – nephew of the Duke of Sutherland –  who recently took over the running of Herringston House, Dorset, which has been in the family's hands for centuries.

Rather helpfully, Bryony works for Liquid OPM, a firm which plans everything from product launches to wedding parties.

Adair earned a PhD in fluid dynamics, after notching up his first degree in mechanical engineering.

But he isn't just a boffin, as Bryony has joyfully recorded on social media, posting clips of Adair surfing, fishing and rock climbing.

Just after Valentine's Day, she quoted Erich Fried's poem, What It Is: 'It is madness / says reason / It is what it is / says love…'

Life's just not, er, flipping fair, blasts Danny Dyer

Rivals star Danny Dyer is furious that his new film has been slapped with an 18 certificate. The Cockney hardman, 48, plays a dubious football agent whose client is on trial for rape in One Last Deal, released today. 

'It is because we use the word '****',' he says bluntly of the British Board of Film Classification, whose president is former Strictly star Natasha Kaplinsky. 'Young men should be watching films like this to learn about misogyny and about men turning a blind eye to rape.'

Speaking at a London screening, he compares its fate to that of big-budget film 28 Years Later. 'Danny Boyle [the director] got a 15, and [actress] Jodie Comer says '****' a lot in it, and [there's] a lot of murder. It is politics going on now. Like if you have got a $100million movie, they get a little swerve and get a 15, whereas we are very restricted with an 18.'

Playing Holmes's older brother Mycroft in new TV series Young Sherlock, Max Irons reveals co-star Colin Firth's bizarre antics in the early hours. 'He loves playing ping-pong in hotel corridors at three in the morning, disturbing all the guests,' reveals Max, son of Oscar winner Jeremy Irons. 'He's just so fun and he understands that to be an actor is to play and to be silly, to try and stay in that mindset and not to take it seriously. He's great. I loved him and it feels a real privilege to be with him.' Fellow hotel guests may disagree!

Styles plays the market

Pop superstar Harry Styles has a new income stream – making cash with a series of shrewd stock market ventures.

The singer, 32, has almost £40million in his company Erskine Investments Ltd and made around £2.5million in profit on canny deals. 

Newly published, inaugural accounts for the business show it has a capital gains tax bill of £590,000, which is levied on the profits made from share deals.

It shows the company has £27million in listed investments and a further £12million in short-term deposits. His overall fortune was put at £225million by the Sunday Times Rich List last year.

Peaky Blinders star Helen McCrory died of cancer in 2021 aged 52, yet her presence is still felt on the set of the gangster drama. 'Helen was just a powerhouse, and I feel like I'm still learning from her,' says Sophie Rundle, 37, who reprises her role as Ada Shelby in new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. 'I was young when I met her and I was so intimidated by her because she was one of my heroes. 'I learnt so much from her.'

Broadcasting legend Sir Terry Wogan's widow, Helen, died in 2024 but she didn't leave a cash fortune to her three children. 'My mother, God rest her soul, was a very keen gardener,' says Mark Wogan. 'The money she spent on her garden meant that we inherited very little. But it was an impressive garden.'

Amanda's TV double trouble

Amanda Lamb says she has to introduce herself on TV to prevent viewers confusing her with fellow Channel 4 property presenter Kirstie Allsopp. 

Now 53, Amanda has fronted shows such as A Place In The Sun and You Deserve This House, while Kirstie, 54, is the longstanding co-host of Location Location Location. 

'The reason I used to say, 'I'm Amanda Lamb' is because I didn't think anyone knew who I was,' she says. 

'And the worst bit was that people always used to think I was Kirstie Allsopp, so I always felt that I needed to...' 

At one live event, a fan approached her for an autograph. 

'I said, 'Who am I making it out to?' I started signing it and then she looked at the magazine and went, 'That's not how you spell Kirstie', and walked off.