'Neglected' Kate splits from Wills

The couple, who met as students at the University of St Andrews, came to the decision earlier this week but have separated amicably, a source said.

They conducted their courtship under the fierce glare of the public spotlight amidst growing speculation Kate would one day become queen.

But Army officer William, 24, has seen Kate, 25, no more than once a week since starting training to be a armoured troop commander at Camp Bovington in Dorset last month.

A "close friend" of the couple told The Sun newspaper: "As far as Kate is concerned, William simply hasn't been paying her enough attention. She is stuck in London while he is living in an officers' mess in Dorset. Kate feels hugely frustrated that their relationship just seems to be going backwards at a rate of knots."

A source confirmed the relationship had broken down, adding simply: "That's life."

But PR guru Max Clifford speculated that the Prince might already have found a new love, saying: "My instinct tells me that there is somebody else in the background."

He said it had become "increasingly obvious" in recent months that William wanted to go out and enjoy himself.

It is understood that Kate's lawyers have asked for her and her parents to be left alone and have said neither she nor her family will be commenting.

Clarence House refused to discuss the matter. A spokesman for the Prince said: "We don't comment on Prince William's private life."