1997年，威廉王子母親戴安娜王妃香殞巴黎，各方調查顯示，狗仔隊的追逐是致戴妃死亡的一大因素。如今，威廉女友、皇室“準孫媳”米德爾頓頻遭狗仔隊襲擊，米德爾頓的律師已向倫敦警察局表達了對她人身安全的擔心，害怕其步戴安娜后塵。盡管皇室發言人一再否認婚事一說，但英國媒體、英國賭徒對威廉的婚事非常看好。更有博彩公司開出盤口，賭威廉王子在今年7月19日舉行婚禮。一家博彩公司由于下注者太多，已停止接受王子婚期的投注。

Britain's Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton smiles during the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, southern England December 15, 2006.[Reuters]

Police protection for Prince William's girlfriend has been stepped up aspaparazzirelentlessly pursue her in an eerie reminder of how they shadowed William's mother, Princess Diana.

Images of Kate Middleton already attract thousands of pounds and with media speculation rife that William is set to propose, photographers are following every move of Britain's possible future queen.

"William is very angry that nothing has changed," one courtier said of the prince's fury over the paparazzi who made life such hell for hislate motherand now have increased their surveillance of his longtime girlfriend.

Ten police officers were summoned to protect the young couple after a trip to a London nightclub last week.

They keep a watchful eye as she heads off to work every day as a fashion buyer. Media reports say she has been given a police radio for her protection.

Her London apartment is constantly targeted by paparazzi, recalling the media spotlight on Diana from the moment she became the girlfriend of heir-to-the throne Prince Charles to her death in a Paris car crash in 1997 with paparazzi in hot pursuit.

William and his younger brother Harry have never forgiven the way the paparazzi hounded Diana.

Now lawyers for Middleton have written to editors urging restraint and one possible avenue is to complain to the Press Complaints Commission, the media watchdog.

Tomorrow, Middleton will celebrate her 25th birthday.

One day, she could match Diana as the world's most photographed women.

With security tightened around her,bookmakersWilliam Hill has cut the odds of a 2007 wedding from 6-1 to 3-1.

"All the signs are pointing towards a royal engagement and wedding. It just seems to be the timing which remains to be decided," spokesman Graham Sharpe said.

"We haveclosed our bookon the date of the wedding after taking several bets for July 19, 2007 at odds of 66-1 which have landed us with a potential payout of almost 50,000 pounds ($97,000)."

（Agencies）

Vocabulary:

paparazzi：狗仔隊

late mother：已故母親

bookmakers：博彩公司經紀人

close our book：停止接受（王子婚期）的投注

（英語點津陳蓓編輯）