Prince Willam and Kate Middleton mingle with the other guests at a friend's wedding last week

Kate Middleton looked every inch the princess-in-waiting when she accompanied her royal boyfriend to a friend’s wedding last week. Dressed in an elegant cornflower blue tailored skirt suit with matching hat, the 27 year old beauty looked relaxed as she chatted with the other guests.  Prince William, along with his brother Harry, were ushers at the ceremony which took place at the Guards Chapel near Buckingham Palace.

The high profile were there to celebrate the marriage of their friend Captain Nicholas Van Cutsem, an Army Officer, to 25-year old Events Organiser Alice Hadden-Paton. 31-year-old Captain Nicholas is due to be deployed to Afghanistan at the end of the year.

Whether the happy union of their friend will spur the royal couple into announcing their own wedding remains to be seen. Kate and William started dating in 2001 after meeting at university in St. Andrews. Kate’s patience has earned her the nick-name Waity Katy as she has been a permanent figure in the Prince’s life for 8 years, without the hint of an engagement.

Rumours surrounding the couple and a possible wedding have been rife for years. Recently it has been suggested that the wedding will take place before the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, meaning wedding bells should be imminent.

The couple certainly looked the picture of love’s young dream as they enjoyed their friend’s wedding reception in London last week. Kate looked tanned and healthy after enjoying a long break on the exclusive private island of Mustique in the Caribbean. William looked less sun-kissed as he has spent the last few weeks in Anglesey, North Wales, where he is undergoing pilot training.