BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten Steps Down

Lord Patten's Statement In Full

Updated: 5:09pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Lord Patten pais tribute to the BBC and the NHS as he stood down following major heart surgery. Here is his statement in full:

"As is well known, I underwent angioplasty while in Hong Kong and a cardiac ablation procedure some seven years ago; and since then I have been regularly assessed by my cardiologist. Last year, for example, I had both a cardiac scan and a treadmill test.

"But on 27 April, I experienced serious chest pains and was admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital that night.

"I was transferred on 28 April to Royal Brompton Hospital where I was successfully treated with a combination of bypass surgery and angioplasty, which had been developed by doctors at the hospital. These procedures have been successful and have ensured no permanent damage to my heart.

"The last few days have reminded me, if reminder were needed, of how fortunate we are in this country to benefit from the National Health Service and the dedication of those who serve in it from around the world.

"I want to offer my most sincere thanks to all concerned in my treatment at the Accident and Emergency Unit at Chelsea and Westminster and to those world-class staff who conducted the bypass and angioplasty at Royal Brompton Hospital, and to pay tribute to their exceptional skill and the wonderful care they provide.

"On the advice of my doctors, however, and having consulted my family and friends, I have concluded that I cannot continue to work at the same full pace as I have done to date, and that I should reduce the range of roles I undertake.

"On this basis I have decided with great regret to step down from much the most demanding of my roles - that of Chairman of the BBC Trust. This is a position that requires and has received from me 100% commitment, and has been my priority at all times.

"It would not be fair to my family to continue as before; and equally it would not be fair to the BBC and those it serves not to be able to give that commitment which the role demands. I have to begin by taking a six week break from any work at all.

"So I am writing today to the Secretary of State to submit my resignation with immediate effect. It falls to the Government to identify a successor. In the meantime, Diane Coyle, as Vice Chairman of the Trust, will serve as Acting Chair as specified in the Charter, and will continue with her colleagues vigorously to pursue the Trust's agenda to serve the interests of licence fee payers.

"In doing so, the Trust will enjoy the support and benefit from the skill and experience of Tony Hall, who has made such an outstanding start in his first year as Director-General and who has appointed such an excellent team to help him.

"It has been a privilege to have served as Chairman of the BBC Trust. Like the NHS, the BBC is a huge national asset which is part of the everyday fabric of our lives. It is not perfect - what institution is? It always needs to challenge itself to improve. But it is a precious and wonderful thing, a hugely positive influence which benefits greatly from the creativity and dedication of its staff.

"I have had no reason to doubt that the leaders of all main political parties support the role it plays at the centre of our public realm. Most important of all, the British public enormously value the strength of its output, its independence and the contribution it makes every day to the quality of our lives.

"When in due course the future of the BBC is subject to further discussion at Charter Review time, I hope to say more on the issue. For the time being, however, I shall be making no further statement whatsoever about the BBC or my period as Chairman of the BBC Trust."

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Carphone And Dixons Set To Unveil £4bn Merger

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail are poised to set the seal on a £3.7bn merger of equals that will create one of Britain's biggest high street groups.

Sky News has learnt that the two companies will make a statement to outline concrete details of their tie-up before a Takeover Panel deadline on May 19.

The terms of the merger, which will see the creation of a new mobile phone and electrical goods retailer likely to be known as Dixons Carphone Group plc, have been broadly agreed in recent days, according to people close to the discussions.

The final name has not yet been formally agreed by the two companies' boards, they added.

The transaction will be structured as a 50-50 merger of equals, which will ignore the fact that Carphone's market capitalisation has been marginally higher than that of Dixons since preliminary discussions were confirmed in February, they said.

Sir Charles Dunstone, the Carphone co-founder, is to be chairman of the combined group, with Dixons occupying the top two executive roles in the form of Sebastian James, chief executive, and Humphrey Singer, chief financial officer.

Andrew Harrison, Carphone's chief executive, will become deputy chief executive, while Roger Taylor, deputy chairman of Carphone, and John Allan, the Dixons Retail chairman, will be named deputy chairmen of the new company.

Some of the existing non-executives on the boards of Carphone and Dixons are set to miss out on roles at the combined group and will be informed in the coming days.

The opportunity for cost savings from a merger will be restricted by the limited overlap between the two retailers' product bases but an insider conceded today that there would be "some" head office job cuts resulting from the merger.

A source close to the deal added that the newly-merged company might identify a new head office location rather than moving to either Carphone or Dixons' existing base.

The new group will have a powerful place on UK high streets, with Dixons currently operating more than 500 stores and Carphone almost 800.

The rationale for the new business will be its ability to serve consumers in the "connected world" with mobile devices and electrical goods increasingly converging.

News that the merger talks are so close to resulting in a formal deal may end any lingering hopes of Dixons' rival, Phones4U of scuppering the deal.

Sky News disclosed in March that BC Partners, Phones4U's owner, was attempting to gatecrash the merger in order to protect its existing mobile phone retailing joint venture with Dixons.

Carphone and Dixons declined to comment.

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Stuart Hall Admits One Indecent Assault Charge

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Stuart Hall has appeared at Preston Crown Court for a second case involving allegations of sex offences against girls aged under 16.

The veteran broadcaster is currently serving a prison sentence for indecently assaulting 13 girls aged between nine and 17. 

In April last year he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. 

This was later extended to 30 months after being considered by the Court of Appeal.

On Tuesday, a jury of eight women and four men were sworn in for another case this time relating to claims of rape and indecently assaulting another two girls over a five-year period from 1976.

The former presenter of BBC's It's A Knockout television programme admitted one charge of indecent assault but denies five others. 

He has also pleaded not guilty to 15 charges of rape.

The 84-year-old arrived at court in a prison van. 

Wearing a suit and tie he sat in the dock listening to proceedings on headphones. 

He occasionally looked distant as he was asked to stand up.

The judge Mr Justice Turner urged the jury to consider the evidence dispassionately and not to sympathise with either party in the case.

Hall was returned to custody and the prosecution case opens on Wednesday morning.

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Madeleine McCann: Police To Dig For Evidence

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 12:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

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Escaped 'Skull Cracker' Armed Robber Sighting

A reported sighting of an escaped armed robber known as the "Skull Cracker" has been made in London, police have said.

Officers were called to an address in Twickenham shortly before 8pm on Monday, following a sighting of Michael Wheatley, who earned his nickname for pistol-whipping victims.

Police searched the area but did not find the 55-year-old, who is the subject of a major manhunt.

Wheatley, who was given 13 life sentences in 2002 for a string of brutal raids on banks and building societies, failed to return to HMP Standford Hill open prison on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent, after being temporarily released.

A full review has been ordered into prison security after the criminal went on the run.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told Sky News he was unhappy with the system for releasing prisoners on temporary licence, and changes were being made, including tighter risk assessments, and tagging of prisoners.

He said: "I am carrying out a full inquiry into the circumstances of the case.

"Every situation like this is unacceptable."

Mr Grayling added: "All efforts will be put in to try and get him back. He will now be in prison for some considerable amount of time.

"And of course I am now changing the system so that people like him will be under much tighter controls in future."

Conservative backbencher Philip Davies said whoever allowed Wheatley out of prison is "a berk" and should be sacked.

Kent Police have urged the public not to approach Wheatley, but to dial 999.

Wheatley carried out 13 raids between June 2001 and April 2002 in bank branches from Southampton in Hampshire to Royston in Hertfordshire.

A police spokesman said Wheatley, originally of Limehouse in east London, has links across southeast England.

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'Teacher Murder Plot' Schoolgirls Expelled

Two teenage girls arrested over an alleged attempt to murder a teacher at a school have been permanently excluded.

The pair, aged 14 and 15, are out on police bail after being questioned last week over concerns about their behaviour at the Cwmcarn High School near Newport in South Wales.

Caerphilly Council told Sky News both teenagers had been permanently excluded.

Officials say there was no risk to staff or students.

Detectives previously said the matter had come to light after a member of staff at the school informed them of the alleged plot.

The 15-year-old was arrested on suspicion of threats to kill, possession of a "bladed article" on school premises and conspiracy to commit murder.

It is thought a kitchen knife had been found in the girl's school bag.

The 14-year-old was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

A letter to parents from Gary Thomas, chairman of the school's governing body, said: "There are clear measures, policies and protocols in place to ensure that everyone is safe and everyone knows how to report any concerns.

"I am very proud of the school and particularly the way in which the pupils are educated to be responsible and report any concerns immediately; we are educating our pupils to be responsible citizens.

"There is mutual trust and respect between the learners ensuring that everyone is safe and happy in our successful school."

Cwmcarn High School headteacher Jacqui Peplinski previously said the "concerns were dealt with swiftly" and stressed police had only been contacted as a "precautionary measure".

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Top Gear Investigated Over Jeremy Clarkson Joke

Clarkson Racism Row: 10 Top Gear Gaffes

Updated: 11:28am UK, Monday 05 May 2014

As Jeremy Clarkson "begs for forgiveness" over claims he used racist language, Sky News looks at past controversies on his show.

:: Lorry load of trouble over "prostitute" claim (series 12, November 2008)

The BBC received hundreds of complaints after Clarkson joked about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes.

"Change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder," he said. "That's a lot of effort in a day."

One MP called for Clarkson to be sacked but the BBC defended its presenter, saying viewers have "clear expectations" of his on-screen persona and humour.

:: Top Gear slammed over "vulgar" Mexico claims (series 16, December 2010)

A special episode of the show upset Mexicans by describing them as "lazy, feckless and flatulent" and branding their food "refried sick".

It claimed the Mexican ambassador to the UK would not complain as he was likely to be asleep.

In response, ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza wrote to the BBC, describing the comments as "outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable".

Ofcom found the BBC had not breached guidelines but the broadcaster admitted the language used had "reinforced" stereotypes.

:: "Slope" remark during Burma special (series 21, March 2014)

Clarkson was accused of using "casual racism" during a Top Gear special, during which he and his co-presenters built a bridge over a Burmese river.

As a man walked across the bridge, Clarkson said: "That's a proud moment but there's a slope on it."

A BBC spokesman said the show was not aware the word "slope" was considered by some to be offensive and insisted it was used to make a "light-hearted wordplay joke".

:: Mock Nazi salute sparks anger (series seven, November 2005)

Clarkson did little to strengthen Anglo-German relations when he made a mock Nazi salute during a segment discussing a new Mini.

He also claimed the car's in-built navigation system "only goes to Poland".

German diplomats sternly pointed out that, had his salute been on German TV, he would have faced criminal charges and even a possible six-month prison term.

The BBC said it would be dealt with under its "rigorous" complaints procedure.

:: "N-word" edited out of Top Gear broadcast (series 19, February 2013)

Clarkson was accused by the Daily Mirror of using the "n-word" while filming an episode of the motoring show.

According to the paper, Clarkson "can be heard chanting, 'Eeny, meeny, miny moe...', before mumbling 'Catch a n****r by his toe'."

Clarkson responded by saying he was "horrified" by the allegations.

The BBC launched an investigation into the episode, which was broadcast without the alleged comment.

:: Fallout from the top over India special (series 17, December 2011)

An Indian special, during which Clarkson built a toilet into the back of a Jaguar, claiming it would be "perfect" for tourists because "everyone" who visits the country suffers diarrhoea, sparked a complaint from the Indian High Commission.

It accused the show of "cheap jibes" and "tasteless humour", adding that it "lacked cultural sensitivity".

A BBC spokesman said it had not insulted Indian people or the country's culture.

:: Albanian man's "murder" triggers complaints (series 16, February 2011)

Hundreds of people complained to the BBC after Top Gear aired a segment during which the presenters tried to squeeze an overweight Albanian man, who had ostensibly been murdered, into the boots of their cars.

The presenters pretended to have been sent to the country to test drive cars for a mafia boss.

:: Dead cow "humour" angers viewers (series nine, February 2007)

During a one-off US special, Clarkson tied a dead cow to the roof of a Chevy Comaro before reversing the car and flinging the animal to the ground.

The stunt sparked complaints to both the BBC and Ofcom, but the broadcaster insisted it was "very typical" of the show's "irreverent humour".

A spokesman added: "No offence was intended."

:: Botswana special leaves trail of controversy (series 10, November 2007)

Environmental campaigners claimed Top Gear had damaged Botswana's Makgadikgadi salt pan by blasting through it during a 2007 special.

They claimed tracks left by the team's vehicles would remain visible for decades.

However, the BBC said it was careful to avoid sensitive conservation zones.

:: Crash test damages villagers' tree (series three, November 2003)

The BBC was forced to hand over £250 to a parish council in Somerset after Clarkson damaged a horse chestnut tree while testing the strength of a Toyota Hilux.

Local people thought the damage had been caused by vandals until later recognising the tree on TV.

The show "unreservedly apologised".

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UKIP Now Party Of Protest, Says Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg argues that the Liberal Democrats have become a serious party of government with UKIP replacing them as the nation's protest vote.

The Deputy Prime Minister, launching his party's local election campaign, said they could now say to voters "don't support us simply to stick two fingers to the others".

He said UKIP revelled in its status as "Britain's protest party", and accused it of "scaring everybody witless" and "indulging in dangerous fantasies".

Mr Clegg insisted the Lib Dems are the only party that can fix Labour's mess, rein in the Tories and stand up to Nigel Farage's party.

Harriet Harman claims the Lib Dems are "a party of broken promises"

But he is facing an uphill task with a poll at the weekend for the European elections putting UKIP on 29%, Labour on 26%, the Conservatives on 23% and Lib Dems on 10%.

With voters going to the polls for the English council and European Parliament elections on May 22, Mr Clegg sought to brace his supporters for losses.

He said: "The local elections are different for us now, the Euros too.

"Bluntly, we are not the protest vote any more. We are not the 'none of the above' party any more. We're not the 'we don't like the world, let's get off' party any more.

"UKIP is now the protest party in British politics, scaring everybody witless, indulging in dangerous fantasies, claiming somehow miraculously every problem on the face of our planet would be lifted from our shoulders if only we just left the European Union.

"Everything I have done as leader has been about taking us on to the next stage: making the Liberal Democrats a serious party of government - national and local, too."

Mr Clegg went on: "We're not asking you to vote for us to just stick two fingers up against the other two parties. We're asking you to vote for something.

"We are the only party in these elections that have the courage to stand up to UKIP, the only party relied upon to rein in the Conservatives, the only party to undo the damage done by Labour to our economy."

But Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said: "The Lib Dems are a party of broken promises. Nick Clegg says they're different from the Tories, but the truth is they've backed David Cameron all the way.

"From trebling tuition fees when they promised to abolish them, increasing VAT when they promised not to, backing the bedroom tax, cutting tax for millionaires and undermining the NHS, the Lib Dems are not a constraint on the Tories - they are their willing helpers."

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Manchester City Facing £50m Fine From Uefa

By Paul Kelso, Sky News Sports Correspondent

Manchester City face a £50m fine and having to limit their Champions League squad to just 21 players next season, instead of the normal 25, after breaching Uefa Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, Sky News understands.

Under sanctions which the club are contesting, City will also have to cap their spending on Champions League players so spending does not exceed this year's total.

The reduction in the size of the Champions League squad to 21 could hit City hardest, as they will have to continue selecting eight "home-grown" players in the squad.

City are contesting the Uefa sanction, but if they do not agree to the sanctions, set out in an initial "settlement offer", they face even stiffer penalties.

Manchester City's Joe Hart makes a save at Saturday's match against Everton

Final confirmation of the sanctions is expected on Friday, two days before City's title-deciding game against West Ham at the Etihad.

Under the FFP rules, clubs are not permitted to lose more than £37m over two seasons unless they can show that losses have been incurred by investments in club infrastructure, including youth development, academies and stadium development.

In the two seasons tested by Uefa 2011-12 and 2012-13, City's combined losses were almost £150m, with losses of almost £200m in 2010-2011.

While some of those losses can be legitimately written off - for example City are building a £100m playing campus next to the Etihad Stadium - Uefa have concluded not all of their losses are legitimate under the terms of FFP.

Manager Pellegrini gesticulates during the Barclays Premier League match

Uefa also examine sources of revenue, which cannot be from "related parties" if they are to count as income for FFP accounting purposes. City's £40m-a-year shirt and stadium sponsorship deal with Etihad, the Abu Dhabi state airline, has been scrutinised, though City says it was done at a fair market rate.

It is understood Uefa found some of City's accounting in their original submission to be less transparent than expected, which has prompted a closer look at all the figures.

City have been on collision course with Uefa over FFP ever since the club's Abu Dhabi owners embarked on an unprecedented spending spree after buying the club in August 2008.

Since then, they have spent more than £600m on transfer fees, winning the FA Cup in 2011, the Premier League in 2012 and the League Cup this season. They require just four points from their remaining two games to be almost certain of winning the league this year.

Paris St Germain, backed by Qatari wealth, have also fallen foul of the FFP rules and face similar sanctions.

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Prince William Flies Economy After Wedding

He may be the future king, but Prince William appeared to have no heirs and graces when he was spotted flying economy class on his way home from a friend's wedding in the US.

The Duke of Cambridge, who was in the US with Prince Harry, took the American Airlines flight from Memphis to Dallas on Sunday.

He caught the internal flight before his long-haul journey home after a weekend celebrating friend Guy Pelly's marriage to American hotel heiress Lizzy Wilson.

The 31-year-old was snapped sitting in a window seat by US reporter Eli Ross who posted the image on Twitter, saying: "#EXCLUSIVE PIC: I am still amazed #Prince William flies COACH.

"That's pretty humble/awesome. Who knew?"

William and Kate flew on a budget airline after a French skiing jaunt

William, who was photographed at Memphis airport wearing jeans, a blue shirt, white trainers and a baseball cap, is understood to have sipped water during the flight.

Although he usually flies first class, it is not the first time he has flown in more cramped surroundings.

In August 2012, William and the Duchess of Cambridge flew with budget airline easyJet after a week-long skiing trip in the French Alps.

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