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Chelsy in Chelsea for a mother of a shopping trip
Sri Carmichael, Royal Reporter22 Aug 2008
Chelsy Davy is back in London after a romantic break in South Africa with Prince Harry - and filling her days as any potential royal bride should.
The tanned 22-year-old student spent yesterday browsing round the shops in the King's Road, Kate Middleton's favourite haunt.
Prince William's girlfriend has been credited with smartening up Chelsy's style, encouraging her to opt for Sloane chic over skimpy outfits.
Zimbabwe-born Chelsy is increasingly being welcomed into the heart of the royal family. After shopping with her mother, Beverley, they dropped into Clarence House for a cup of tea.
It is understood Harry, 23, is using the apartment he shares there with his brother William as a base before he returns to Army training.
Chelsy's comfortable status with the royal family after four years dating Harry was underlined yesterday when it emerged she is on the guest list for Prince Charles's 60th birthday celebrations at Buckingham Palace in November.
Ms Middleton is also expected to attend.
It remains to be seen whether the celebrations will be scaled down in the light of the Queen's fall in the rankings of the world's richest royals.
Despite an estimated fortune of £349 million, the Queen has dropped one place to 12th in the annual list compiled by US magazine Forbes. In a surprise change at the top, the King of Thailand has replaced the Sultan of Brunei as the world's wealthiest ruler.
King Bhumibol Adulyade of Thailand has holdings in the Siam Cement company, owns a stake in a bank and has 3,000 acres of prime Bangkok real estate among his assets.
Forbes's estimate of the Queen's wealth includes jewellery, fine art, a stamp collection gathered by her grandfather George V and royal land and property in England and Scotland.
The actual worth of the Queen's private property - including Sandringham and Balmoral - has never been disclosed.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "The Queen's personal wealth has always been vastly exaggerated."
