Beachcomber: 101 years old and still flouting tradition...

However events of the past few weeks in royal circles have been too momentous to ignore.

I refer, of course, to Meghan and Louis, both of whom you may have heard of.

The former is the name conferred on the baby okapi recently born at London Zoo, while Louis is the name given to the baby camel born at Blackpool Zoo on the same day as Prince Louis was born to William and Kate in London.

With their shared royal connections, it would be no surprise if the young okapi and camel were to meet, perhaps in the grounds of Windsor Great Park when visiting Her Majesty the Queen.

The nature of their conversation on such an occasion is, of course, a matter for pure speculation but I have never been one to shy away from speculation, so here goes.

The scene: a shady glade in Windsor.

A camel is idly chomping its way through whatever vegetation it can get its lips around.

An okapi ambles into view and fixes the camel with a steely gaze.

“Oy!” says the okapi, “keep your choppers off my leaves."

The camel continues its chomping until it has swallowed the mouthful.

Then it speaks in a haughty but dignified manner: “And who might you be that you claim they are your leaves? I’ll have you know that I am Louis the Bactrian camel and I’m named after a Prince of this realm.”

“Well I am Meghan,” says the okapi, “and I am named after a woman who is going to be a princess when she marries the man who is fifth in line to the throne.”

“If you mean Prince Harry,” says the camel, “then I’m afraid you’re out of date. He’s sixth in line now, having been bumped down from fifth place by Louis himself.”

“I do mean Prince Harry,” says Meghan the okapi, “and I’m sure he told me he was fifth in line. But you may well be right; that was some time ago.”

“Hey!” says the camel, brightening up considerably. “I’ve just realised something.”

The okapi looks puzzled for a moment, then enlightenment comes to her too.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she says, “and you’re absolutely right.”

Then, both animals speak together: “Auntie!” shrieks Louis; “Nephew!” squawks Meghan, and she suggests they should play together and share the leaves.

After thinking it over, however, Louis is not so sure it’s a good idea.

“I’m a real prince,” he says. “You’re just a commoner; and I’m pure bred of good English stock. You’re American. That makes you a colonial.”

“Don’t make me laugh!” says Meghan. “Your mum was a commoner too before she married, and Bactrian camels came from Bactria, which was a region on the steppe of central Asia. At least okapis were discovered by Sir Harry Johnston of England in 1901.”

Louis is impressed at her erudition.

“Love your stripey legs,” he purrs, and a long-lasting friendship begins.