William's Women (five)

Real Crime: Who Killed the Pageant Queen? The Prime Suspect (ITV1)

THE tone of the documentary about Prince William's search for a suitable princess was set early on, as the saucy narrator told us that: "From the Spice Girls to Miss Spears, many a celebrity has been star-struck by the thought of royal Willie."

Some might argue that the monarchy doesn't deserve to be treated as anything but a joke, but William is the last hope of rescuing the reputation of the scandal-rocked royals. If he picks the wrong girl, there's no one else to hold the monarchy together, it was suggested.

The programme suffered because one of the world's most eligible bachelors is rather good at keeping his dangerous liaisons secret. This has been helped by the gentleman's agreement over limiting press coverage of his time at St Andrew's University. Once he leaves, it will be open season on his love life.

The most explicit comment about his dealings with women came from a (female) gap year friend, who said: "Without going into detail, he can be a bit of a charmer."

Experts agree he's certainly more laid back than his father, who followed the royal tradition of having a wife and a mistress. Prince Charles is a stickler for formality, demanding that one actress girlfriend call him "Sir" even in the most intimate situations.

William goes where normal punters go - down the local pub or to London clubs where "the women were all over Our Willie". But he has to maintain some decorum, so it's brother Harry who has a better time groping lap dancers and getting drunk.

There are advantages to being a prince. He may not be able to go out for a night on the town, but he can have a nice private evening in at one of the many royal houses.

Who Killed The Pageant Queen? was very much a case of TV doing the job of the police in a follow-up programme to a previous Real Crime documentary about the murder of a six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey in the town of Boulder, Colorado, seven years ago.

From the start, local detectives believed the parents were to blame, although they were never charged.

A fresh investigation, with Boulder DA's office seeking the help of private detectives, showed that many leads were ignored previously, including a suicide and two men who left immediately after the murder.

It certainly seems, as was suggested in the programme, as if the original police investigation ignored or discredited anything that didn't point to the Ramseys.

Now vital DNA evidence needs to be followed up. Whether Boulder authorities have the courage to admit they need help remains to be seen. The Ramseys remain adamant that they won't rest until their daughter's killer is found. "Until we are no longer around, we are committed to finding the person," said Mrs Ramsey.

This programme may help her achieve her wish.