The Countess of Wessex yesterday appeared unlikely to make a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over a newspaper "sting" in which she allegedly slighted senior members of the royal family and British politicians, including the Prime Minister and his wife.
With her husband Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, the former Sophie Rhys-Jones (36) was continuing a "fly-the-flag" visit to the Gulf. "It's business as usual," a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said.
The countess, a public relations executive, was allegedly duped by a News of the World undercover reporter posing as a wealthy Arab sheikh interested in hiring her PR firm.
The reporter allegedly made secret tape recordings of meetings in London during which, it is claimed, the countess made unguarded and inappropriate remarks referring to Queen Elizabeth, to the Queen Mother, the late Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales, Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles, Tony and Cherie Blair and Mr William Hague.
She is alleged to have referred to Mr Blair as being "too presidential", his wife Cherie as "absolutely horrid, horrid, horrid", the Queen as "the old dear" and Mr Hague as looking "deformed".
Then, in an apparent deal, the newspaper declined to publish and the countess gave an outspoken interview to the News of the World in which she talked about her husband's sexuality, denying rumours he is gay, and revealed she would try fertility treatment.
However, details of the so-called "Sophie tapes" reached the rival Mail on Sunday newspaper, which this weekend ran the story, claiming the countess had been disrespectful. The palace moved to defend the countess and claim inaccuracies.