There was a time when even the most innocent 'indiscretion' by a prospective royal bride was enough to see her all-but expelled from the inner sanctum of the royal court.

But it would seem Chelsy Davy is assured of her equally hard-living prince’s love, for as we’ve seen this week she appears relatively unconcerned by the publicity surrounding her party-loving ways, as backed up with yet another set of images in the Sunday press.

With Prince Harry having celebrated his 23rd birthday this weekend, we might have expected to see Charles and Diana's youngest son featured on the front page of at least one Sunday paper.

However, it’s his longtime girlfriend Chelsy who’s yet again back in the spotlight, the Mail on Sunday having some how got hold of a set of pictures the likes of which previous royal girlfriends would have been horrified to see in print.

Cigarette in hand, and clearly without a care in the world, Chelsy is seen in a series of poses, including drinking from two flutes of champagne, shaking her backside at the camera and pouting.

Unfortunately for Chelsy, though, the pictures are becoming increasingly frequent, no doubt prompting some to wonder whether she has a future at the heart of the Royal Family?

Of course, it should be noted that Chelsy isn't officially a public figure and is perfectly entitled to have fun. She's only 21-years-old and is embarking on a new life, away from her South African homeland, at Leeds University.

The reality is that, unlike Harry who's been involved in several angry, very public confrontations with photographers, Chelsy's never put a foot wrong in public.