But the couple have already had to give way over a major detail: where their reception is to be held following the service at St George’s Chapel.

I understand that the pair had suggested to courtiers they would like the party to be at Frogmore House, which is tucked away in Windsor Home Park and was the setting they chose for their engagement photographs.

The stately home, built in 1680, is set in 35 acres of beautiful gardens dotted with follies and a lake.

It is just a mile away from Windsor Castle and is where the Queen often walks her corgis on Sundays.

It has special significance for the Royal Family, not only as a bolthole but as a burial ground.

It is where both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert have their graves, as do the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson.

The estate is off-limits to the public except for three days in June, when it opens for charity.

In 2008, the Queen gave permission for Peter Phillips to hold his reception at Frogmore after he married his Canadian bride Autumn Kelly (although he was later criticised for negotiating a £500,000 deal with a celebrity magazine which filled 60 pages with photographs of the royals enjoying themselves).

For Meghan, Frogmore has already become a special place, as it is where she was taken by Harry for a romantic picnic during their courtship last summer.

But the couple’s idea to use it for their reception has been gently vetoed by aides, who favour St George’s Hall, next to the chapel at Windsor, as being a more suitable venue, both in size for the expected number of guests, and for ease of access after the service.

Says a senior royal source: “They would have loved Frogmore for the party, particularly Meghan who has called it ‘dreamy’, but they have been told St George’s Hall is far more practical.

“One person who would have readily approved of their choice was the Queen, for whom Frogmore is a very special place.

“The Queen would also have loved the family to see what had been done at Frogmore: the house has just been renovated by a group of friends as a 70th wedding anniversary gift to her and Philip.”

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Davina McCall is distracting herself from the pain of breaking up with her husband Matthew Robertson, with yet another exercise regime.

The 50-year-old presenter, who put aside her marital differences to spend Christmas Day with Matthew and their three children, has joined a class called Popcycle near her home in Sussex.

She enthuses: “It’s essentially like ‘spin’ but in the basement of the instructor’s house. There’s really loud music and we just go mad on our bikes for an hour, whooping away with neon lights flashing.”

As for sticking to any New Year’s resolutions, Davina declares: “I’ve spent my life giving up drink, drugs, sugar and goodness knows what else – so I don’t want to give anything up. I just want to be ‘me’ and keep enjoying doing what I do.”

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Nigel Havers is comfortably off but he could have made much more money had he been a bit more ambitious after his starring role in the hit 1981 film Chariots Of Fire, reflects the old smoothie.

“Over the years Chariots made me a million but it all went on three marriages and because I like to spend it.

"I’m a great believer in making money circulate.

“My accountant used to say to me, ‘Can you please try to not spend it before you get it?’ But I would spend it the day I got the job and then again when the cheque arrived.”

The consummate charmer, 66, who began his career booking guests on Radio 2’s Jimmy Young Show, admits he could have done more films had he been more aggressive but he sighs: “I’m just not ambitious enough.

I’m a bit naughty – could never really be bothered.

“Anyway, does it matter if you become rich and famous or not? If I had millions, it would just worry me.

"I’d just feel guilty about it. It would be a burden.”

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Alison Steadman can’t bear to harm any living creature, from spiders (about which she wrote a book for children last year) or even the mice that invaded her utility room.

They nibbled their way through her new pair of Ugg boots, leading the obliging actress, 71, not to castigate the mice but to commend their good taste.

She says: “I have another pair of cheap boots I bought to trundle round the house in.

"They didn’t touch them.”

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Janet Street-Porter is not planning any big changes to her lifestyle this year but aims to carry on her method of what she terms Positive Ageing: doing something new on a regular basis, no matter how small.

“I cook a new recipe once a week and I read a book by an author I’ve never heard of. If I find it hard going, I have no guilt about taking it to a charity shop or passing it to a friend.”

Adds the sprightly septuagenerian: “Instead of sitting on my backside and ordering everything online, I go to a shop and talk to a person.

"And at any event, from a farmers’ market to a jumble sale, I try to talk to someone younger than myself. They’re going to tell me stuff I don’t know."

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There were times on his chat show when Michael Parkinson was so effusive he appeared to have fallen in lust with guests such as Lauren Bacall and Shirley MacLaine, touchy-feely behaviour Sir Michael, 82, admits he wouldn’t get away with today.

“But it was harmless, silly, romantic,” says the Barnsley-born broadcaster.

“Most of the stories we’re reading about now are not flirting, they’re serious assaults by men on women.

"That’s a different thing altogether.”

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The lack of a Damehood for Petula Clark in the New Year honours list has prompted speculation among her fan club as to why the singer has once again been overlooked.

“The Queen doesn’t like her... that’s what I’ve always heard,” says one admirer, while another posits a wacky conspiracy theory involving Princess Margaret’s jealousy of the chemistry between the chanteuse and the princess’s lover Roddy Llewellyn.

Whatever the reason, Petula’s followers want recognition of her career, which goes back to the Second World War when, a child prodigy, she used to sing for the troops.

She has sold some 70 million records, with hits such as Downtown and Don’t Sleep In The Subway, and at 85 she is still touring.

A petition asking for Petula to be made a Dame was signed by thousands but came to nothing.

When the subject was last raised, the Epsom-born star smiled: “Is there a reason to be made a Dame? It would be nice but honours really don’t change your life.” Quite so.

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While many showbusiness unions buckle under the pressure of work commitments, the relationship between Lily James and Matt Smith is blooming, despite the stellar couple being in such high demand professionally.

Former Doctor Who actor Matt, 35, first waved his sonic screwdriver in Lily’s direction at the Cannes Film Festival nearly three years ago and since then the couple have moved into a house in Primrose Hill, North London.

But their schedules have prevented them from sharing too many cosy evenings together.

Matt has been abroad for the second series of The Crown, in which he plays Prince Philip, while Lily, 28, has spent the past few months in Croatia filming a sequel to Mamma Mia!

Friends of the pair wouldn’t be at all surprised if there was an engagement soon, not least because Lily hinted that she was ready to settle down while being interviewed to promote the film Darkest Hour, in which she plays Churchill’s wartime secretary.

“Oh yeah, definitely – a big one,” she said when asked if she wanted a family. “I love children, I’ve always wanted to be a young mum.”

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Dame Vera Lynn, who will be 101 in March, still has excellent eyesight, enabling her to rediscover her favourite murder stories.

“My sight is extremely good so I still read prolifically,” says the Forces Sweetheart.

“Detective novels force you to think hard and puzzling things out is something I really enjoy. It’s a bit like doing my knitting... if I go wrong, I have to work backwards to figure out what happened.”

Dame Vera’s favourite author remains Agatha Christie, closely followed by Colin Dexter, of whom she says: “Inspector Morse’s irreverence makes me chuckle but it’s the plots that really intrigue me.”

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Among Ringo Starr’s lesser known talents is knitting.

It’s a skill he picked up as a 13-year-old when he was stuck in hospital for two years after a bad cold turned to pleurisy.

“I learned to knit because you could do it in bed,” says the newly knighted musician.

But he soon gave up the craft in favour of percussion when he was given a seven-inch snare drum, which he could also practise in bed – to the annoyance of other patients on his hospital ward in Liverpool.

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