IN the end, it seems that the intruder at Prince William's 21st birthday party was a harmless prankster with nothing more on his mind than self-publicity.

The point is, of course, that he could have had far more sinister motives and it is a cause of great concern that such a security breach could take place.

It should not have been possible for a gatecrasher to get so close to Prince William.

That said, Royal security is going to become an increasing challenge because of the changing nature of the monarchy.

The public wants a more modern, accessible Royal Family. And for the monarchy to survive, it has to show it is willing to move with the times.

In Prince William, we have an heir to the throne who thrives on informality. He can never live an ordinary life, but he wants as much normality as possible.

OK, a lavish fancy dress party at Windsor Castle might not be exactly normal, but the guest list was largely made up of university friends, and the "Out of Africa" fancy dress theme was far removed from the stuffiness of traditional royal occasions.

He not only shares his mother's looks but her desire to break free from the stiff formality of his position.

It means that those responsible for keeping him safe will have plenty more headaches to cope with as the years go by.

Tennis hopes

HERE we go again, keeping everything crossed for a British win at Wimbers.

If Greg Rusedski goes all the way, we'll count him as a Brit. If he goes out in an early round, we'll console ourselves with the knowledge that he's really Canadian.

Tim Henman, on the other hand, is British through and through and he's the one who has to shoulder the hopes of a nation.

It looks a wide open contest so maybe, just maybe, the four-time semi-finalist can finally do it.

After all, our rugby players beat the Aussies Down Under at the weekend so anything might happen.

On the other hand, imagine if he does win. Summer simply won't be the same if we can no longer agonise over the possibility of the first British men's Wimbledon champion for a generation.