Tony Blair urged the world’s media yesterday to leave Prince William and Kate Middleton alone after the surprise disclosure of the end of their relationship.

The Prime Minister spoke as Ms Middleton braved waiting paparazzi to venture out of her parents’ home. She is expected to return to work today and go back to her home in Central London tonight.

Mr Blair’s words followed the announcement on Saturday that the couple had agreed to separate after four years.

He told the BBC One The Politics Show that most of what is written about the reasons behind their break-up would be “complete nonsense”.

“I think, in respect of Prince William, they are a young couple. We have had the announcement, fine. They should be left alone now without reams of stuff being written that I can assure you, from my experience of royal stories, most of which will be complete nonsense.” He said that they should be allowed to get on with their own lives.

Prince William, 24, who is a Second Lieutenant in the Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry, and Miss Middleton, 25, a buyer for a fashion company, agreed to part last week.

They met in 2001 as students at St Andrews University in Scotland and started going out together the following year.

From speculating that the couple would soon announce their engagement, the media has turned to possible reasons for the break-up. One report said that the Prince of Wales encouraged Prince William to decide whether they should marry because of concerns that it was unfair to prolong the relationship indefinitely.

Others claimed that Prince William felt too young to settle down and discussed the situation with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

It was also reported that Ms Middleton had pulled William up on his recent rowdy behaviour. The Prince spent yesterday at Highgrove, his father’s home in Gloucestershire.

Ms Middleton has become a favourite subject of paparazzi photographers. On her 25th birthday in January, she faced a press scrum outside her flat in London on her way to work.

Ms Middleton complained of harassment to the Press Complaints Commission over an image used by the Daily Mirror, but settled the matter after the paper apologised.

Solicitors are understood to have asked for her and her family to be left alone.

Officers from Scotland Yard’s SO14 squad are expected to keep a close eye on Ms Middleton, because she is thought to be vulnerable to stalkers.

Max Clifford, who works closely with the redtop newspapers, said: “Everybody will be trying to find out why it happened. Her friends will be approached by everybody asking how does she feel, what’s gone on, what do you know? It will go on for some time,” he said.

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