Gay Norfolk

Happily, James will now put the record straight. He's not really a "hellraiser", despite those those pictures that appeared online and in the press of him and some chums at a party in various states of undress. One of the images appeared to show him using a hairdryer on his pubic hair.

Another saw him sitting naked, by a fireplace, holding a bottle of lager. In a third photograph, he bared a waxed chest and well-toned upper body, with one hand covering his modesty. He was also pictured in drag - FB.

Perhaps the most memorable shot showed Middleton and three male companions, with their trousers and underpants round their ankles, standing with their backs to camera on a leafy rural road. A nearby road sign proclaimed: Back Lane. Lawyers hired by the Middleton family successfully instructed newspapers never to re-publish the images, which had leaked via a Facebook account with inadequate security settings.

But, inevitably, they have endured in cyberspace. And old reputations die hard... "Out-of-character", say friends. "He s actually the reverse of a party animal" says one, "quiet and a little bit shy. One of his hobbies is beekeeping, which speaks volumes." Doesn't it, just?

But if James has sometimes played hard, he works bloody hard, too, "he claims to work 14-hour days" at his two cake businesses. And no, he's been bankrolled by the multi-millionaire Middletons. It is mere convenience that means he operated from their business compound, his cakes are sold through their Party pieces website, and it seems they've secured his business debts - handy, as it's currently trading at a (small) loss.

Oh, and he also lives rent-free at a million pound pad they bought in Chelsea. And no, James hasn't been considering a role in Made In Chelsea. "'Just a typical, speculated rumour of the sort his family has sadly become so used to ." Poor show, evil newspapers! But what about the "scurrilous rumours" we've heard about young master James being a big old gay?

A failure to live up to the It-boy stereotype by falling out of nightclubs with blondes on each arm has seen James endure widespread speculation about his sexuality. After he gave the reading at sister Kate s 2011 Royal Wedding, web forums buzzed with chatter. James has never publicly discussed his private life, on the grounds that it would open a Pandora s Box.

But one of his closest friends who was authorised by Middleton to speak to me described the suggestion that he is gay as ridiculous . Believe me, she said, anyone who has known James for any length of time would know that s nonsense. He s just a heterosexual 25-year-old who is in no rush to couple up and seems happy with the single life.' Another friend said: If you ve ever heard James talk privately about girls, you d know he s not gay.

But he s not that bothered by the rumours, either. He s quite meterosexual so, in a way, he takes it as a compliment. Jolly glad to hear it.

Can our near blue-blooded bachelor boy stay single for long? Continue reading →