YOUTH MATTERS Sally Green...Princess dream has come back to life with Kate

Fairytales, Disney films and bridal barbie dolls made it impossible not to. The tiara, the beautiful dresses, the handsome prince, the horse drawn carriage – no element was left untouched.

The dreams receded and the next generation of little girls wanted to become pop princesses instead. High School Musical turned school into Hollywood movies and the X Factor made normal people into stars.

Singing into a hairbrush replaced perfecting one’s royal wave. Where Sleeping Beauty and Snow White videos would have once been stacked, sing-along versions of Hannah Montana appeared.

Then, a few months ago, along came Kate. Pretty hair and a beaming smile, but no royal title or fairytale castle behind her.

A normal girl whose life would be transformed. And so the spark’s been reignited.

The royal family are no longer a distant group of posh people who wear crowns and have lots of corgi dogs, they’re the focus of the world’s media attention and Kate Middleton is the fairytale princess that’s been missing for years.

Kate causes a flurry of excitement wherever she goes. The clothes she wears are sold out within hours and her engagement ring’s been replicated and sold in supermarkets. And the best bit is she’s a normal person like you or me! She shops in Warehouse and helped design her wedding dress.

She does her own make-up and doesn’t listen to all the beauty editors and make-up artists telling her to ditch her eyeliner. But despite her status as a ‘commoner’, she worked the crowds at her recent tour of royal engagements like a pro, smiling, shaking hands and looking thoroughly regal.

Kate is proof dreams can come true...she may have snapped up William, but there’s still one prince left!