THE Princess of Wales was yesterday charming fellow skiers at one of
Colorado's top resorts -- sending fellow holidaymakers rushing for their
cameras when she arrived on Vail Mountain.
The royal visitor instantly became the resort's number one attraction
when she was spotted with New York bachelor Teddy Forstmann, 54, a Wall
Street millionaire she met in the US last summer.
Some sources say they have a ''close friendship'', others that the
relationship is just ''professional'', without a hint of romance.
Colleagues of the top financier, who controls billions of dollars, say
he was embarrassed at being linked with Diana -- and would be teased
about it by his girlfriend Debra.
The princess arrived at Vail on Wednesday and was spotted riding the
Vista Bahn Express chairlift with her veteran ski instructor Penti
Tofferi and another man and woman.
Mr Kent Zimmerman, a Vail communications assistant, said yesterday:
''She is on our mountain but has not contacted us and is apparently here
on vacation.''
Meanwhile, in Europe, another estranged royal -- the Duchess of York
-- was also enjoying the delights of skiing with daughters Beatrice and
Eugenie, at top Swiss resort Klosters.
The Prince of Wales is due at the resort next week with Prince William
and Prince Harry. He narrowly avoided death there in a 1988 avalanche
that killed a close friend.
Summing up the rival attractions of the women, one freelance
royal-watching photographer said: ''Fergie is a good story -- but Diana
with a man is better.''
The princess also appeared to have the better bargain on the slopes.
Vail, which is more than 8000ft up in the Rocky Mountains and last year
played host to more than 1.5 million skiers, is regarded with rival
Colorado resort Aspen as the most up-market of the ever-growing number
of American ski centres. It can virtually guarantee good snow.
However, prospects for the first day's skiing on the Duchess of York's
10-day holiday at Klosters were not good, with mild temperatures and
poor snow conditions.
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