Where was James on Donna’s big night out?
AGooD two-and-a-half years have gone by since Geordie cougar Donna ai r first pounced on royal inlaw James Middleton — but their unlikely romance still provokes a f air degree of head-scratching.
on Saturday evening, a tyneside operative spotted former television presenter Donna out on the ‘toon’ in her native Newcastle with her immediate family.
they were having dinner at the swanky Jesmond Dene house hotel, and appeared to be celebrating her recent 36th birthday.
however, despite posting a picture of herself together with the Duchess of Cambridge’s younger brother the previous day enjoying the sunshine, he didn’t appear to have made the journey north to join her.
‘Donna was with her mum, dad and brother having what looked like a birthday meal,’ I’m told. ‘they were having a right old laugh about stories from when Donna was young. But there was definitely no sign of James.’
the couple are a visible fixture on the London social scene. only l ast month, they were snapped lapping up the attention in the Royal Box at the Wimbledon championships, and are frequently seen on each others’ arms at charity galas and other social functions.
however, there appears to be a curious lack of involvement when it comes to their respective families. Donna did not attend either of the
RaDIo 4 has scheduled my late colleague Keith Waterhouse’s brilliant Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell as this week’s Saturday play at 2.30pm. But is that wise?
the brilliant play, based on the boozy antics of the late journalist royal christenings of James’s nephew and niece, George and Charlotte. Nor was she at his mother Carole’s birthday celebrations in Mustique in January.
Middleton, 28, has rarely broached the subject of his romance with air publicly. asked during an interview to promote his cake-making business last year whether he had considered proposing, he remarked i ncredulously: ‘am I getting married? What a ridiculous question! Um, we’re enjoying our relationship as it is now.’
as f or Donna, she hardly ever mentions James by name. and of their relationship, she once commented: ‘I don’t feel like it is high-profile because James and I don’t court publicity.
‘ We don’t have a big showbiz celebrity life in any sense.’ Bernard (played in this instance by Sir John hurt) — is laden with fruity language. the ‘f ’ word is used no less than 16 times (I counted).
a busy weekend ahead for the poor bod manning the BBC complaints line, I fear.