Announcing a royal marriage

But the barrage of photographers that greeted her is surely a sign that there is now no escape for the future princess from the probing eye of the public.

Miss Rhys-Jones, who own and runs a PR company, R-JH Communications in London, has made it clear she is determined to carry on with her career and that despite her official entry into royal circle it is and will remain business as usual.

At 9.00am on Thursday morning she stepped out of a Rover car outside her office in Mayfair smiling and looking relaxed and happy as she was jostled by about 20 reporters, well-wishers with bouquets all struggling with police to get a closer look.

"I am thinking of contacting Insomniacs International," she said. As she made her way to the office in South Audley Street, she spoke of why she wanted to continue working. "I have set this company up and I have commitments to clients and staff and I want to carry that on," she said.

Relishing media attention

Asked what it would be like being part of a royal marriage, she said: "I will see about that when it happens." She said she would celebrate the engagement "privately" but when asked if she was looking forward to the high-profile media focus for the rest of her life she answered: "Yes, I am."

Her fiancé, Edward, is also expected to be back at work at his television production company, Ardent Productions, and the thoroughly modern couple will continue their careers after the wedding in the late spring or summer.

Her hair and demeanour are being compared to...

Between then and now, the media will continue to feed public curiosity about details of the wedding day. Some have already compared her to Princess Diana in her demeanour and hairstyle.

But Una-Mary Parker, a freelance writer on royal affairs, told the BBC no-one could replace Diana in the public's hearts no matter how much the press wanted another royal leading lady.

..the late Princess of Wales

"She does emulate Diana in many ways with her clothes and her hair, but it's not going to work. The public won't buy another Diana. There was only one," she said.

She added that Miss Rhys-Jones is 15 years older than Diana was when she got engaged to Prince Charles, and is more experienced in both handling the media and mixing with royals, and that she does not face the pressures of being a future queen.