USUALLY THE MEETING of the in-laws is little more than an awkward cuppa in the sitting room, but there was a little more to it for the parents of princess-to-be Kate Middleton as they finally took lunch with Prince William’s granny.

Michael and Carole were invited to a private lunch at Windsor Castle to meet Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, where The Telegraph reports they spent over an hour exchanging niceites. There has been much chatter about why the foursome have never met over the course of Kate and William’s eight year relationship. Kate herself did not meet her granny-in-law until May 2008.

The bride-and-groom-to-be were reportedly not invited to the lunch, so the Queen and Mrs. Middleton were free to swap embarrassing stories about Kate and William. Prince Charles and Camilla have already met with the young couple several times.

The royal wedding takes place on 29 April and speculation about the dress, the service, the Queen’s hat and Victoria Beckham’s frock on the day is at fever pitch. One Irish man who will be polishing his shoes is Cardinal Sean Brady. The Catholic primate has been invited along to witness the nuptials, in an invitation that’s been described as “unprecedented”.