Let us look forward to welcoming visitors from distant lands to an international event that will bring more money into the country than it will cost.
They might, one day, be our king and queen. Praise them, celebrate them and pray for the strength, wisdom and courage they will need.
Their lives of duty under constant scrutiny will be tough. As they start on this journey together, let us just be happy that they are happy.
Chris Trollope, Leybourne, Kent
SIR – How nice to see pictures of Prince William's fiancée taking his arm, and his managing to walk and sit beside her without adopting the juvenile habit of holding hands so beloved of our politicians when they are photographed.
The couple's mutual affection is apparent without overt demonstration.
Sean Putnam, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
SIR – As the father of three daughters in their twenties, I would like to say how grateful I am to the Middleton family for taking on this unenviable burden.
Robin Lane, Devizes, Wiltshire
SIR – In welcoming the engagement (Leading article, Issue 1,009), you say they will be "fitting recipients of the royal baton". This rather pointedly ignores the next recipient of the royal baton: the Prince of Wales.
It has grown customary to overlook the contribution Prince Charles makes to this country. I cannot be alone in looking forward to his coronation.
Kevin Mann, Goodwood, West Sussex
SIR – Reading the article "Treat Kate with more respect than my mother" (report, Issue 1,009), three things spring to mind that might help William not to worry.
First, how much media attention to royals is too much is not up to him. Second, he isn't the heir to the throne – his father is, and last, his mother courted media attention when it suited her. Kate might be more careful. But, as my wife reminds me, I mustn't be nasty because he's just a laddie.
Alex Aitken, Kingston, Ontario
SIR – Rather than having Prince William and his fiancée sell the photographic rights to their wedding to a magazine to pay for the cost of it, may I suggest that an appeal be opened to which royalists can contribute.
Don Roberts, Prenton, Wirral
SIR - There has been inevitable speculation about the dukedom likely to be bestowed on Prince William upon his forthcoming marriage.
Although there are a number of old royal dukedoms, does this wedding not offer a great opportunity for the Queen to strengthen the royal ties with the Commonwealth by making the Prince the Duke of Montreal, after a city that straddles Anglophone and Francophone Canada?
Were Prince Harry created Duke of Sydney and each Prince also created earls of cities in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (or perhaps Jamaica), the largest Commonwealth realms would receive the recognition they have long deserved.
There is no constitutional reason why this could not be done. Although titles of nobility are forbidden in Canada, royal dukedoms have the status of courtesy titles in all Commonwealth realms.
Francis Hoar, London EC4
Ireland's troubles
SIR – Ireland is in dire economic straits (report, Issue 1,009) and yet the key stabiliser of currency devaluation is denied to it, so we are transfusing blood to a patient with an open wound.
Equally worrying are the other areas where EU members are bound in handcuffs. Whether it is the erosion of liberties under the European arrest warrant, the inability to secure our own trade agreements, or economically damaging regulations such as the 48-hour working week, the EU binds its members together in an uncomfortable marriage and denies its members freedom of action, preventing democratic governance.
European integration is surely at an end. Ireland should leave the euro, EU powers should be repatriated, and European nations should co-operate sensibly as friends, following an amicable divorce from unhappy political marriage.
Harry Aldridge, Horsham, West Sussex
SIR – After all those years of struggle to gain independence from Britain, Ireland now faces the loss of sovereignty to the European Central Bank. Even sadder is that the country did not see this coming.
It seems so obvious that a common currency will work only with central political and economic control. This we see from the head of the IMF who has reportedly demanded that a central independent body be created, to "end narrow national interests".
It was for just such "narrow national interests" that the Irish fought all those years ago.
Terry Lloyd, Darley Abbey, Derbyshire
SIR – Would it not be wonderful if the Irish had held their nerve and defended their own country, saying thank you very much but we will sort out our own problems.
Corry Lilley, West Wittering, West Sussex
SIR – When I ran our small family business, had someone approached me with a sorry tale that he had taken a very risky gamble which had gone seriously wrong, leaving him on the verge of bankruptcy, then proposed I handed over a large sum of money to enable him to continue buying my products, I would have given him very short shrift indeed.
Ireland took a very risky gamble by scrapping its own currency to join the euro, which has now left it almost destitute. Despite this, we are told by our Government that we have to give the Irish a large sum of our money so that they can continue to trade with us.
Did I have the wrong business policy?
Derek Bennett, Walsall, Staffordshire
SIR – It is enlightening that "friend in need" was the term that George Osborne used for what in reality are insolvent Irish banks, to be bailed out in part by the British taxpayer in an effort to protect the interest of formerly insolvent British banks – banks that were bailed out by the self-same British taxpayers!
How long before the British banks need another dose of bail-out medicine?
Martin Clarke, Killingworth, Northumberland
Lord Young's truth
SIR – While many of Lord Young's comments were crass (report, Issue 1,009), it is to his credit that he now recognises them as such.
Low interest rates subsidise credit-crazed households while suppressing the return on deposits. My 94-year-old mother-in-law's savings, which include the equity from the sale of her home, are being whittled away by inflation – despite also being made to pay almost £4,000 a month for her residential care from them.
Paul Harrison, Chelmsford, Essex
SIR – Lord Young has resigned for making statements that in many cases are true. I am concerned that hard advice will not be forthcoming in future if the thinker is to be held to account by the thought police.
Sarah Robinson, Winchester
SIR – I recently tried to book a table for afternoon tea in Manchester, only to discover that at least five of the top hotels were fully booked. This was on a day when Manchester United were playing at home, with 70,000 tickets sold at an average of £40 each.
I can't help agreeing with Lord Young.
Kate Holloway, Sale, Cheshire
These letters were originally published in the Telegraph Weekly World Edition
Email your letters to weeklyt@telegraph.co.uk
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