Middleton forced to quit boat race

Updated 14.47 Tue Aug 07 2007

Keywords: Beauty v Brawn challenge, Prince William, Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton has pulled out of a charity boat race due to security concerns surrounding media coverage of the event.

Prince William's on-off girlfriend has been in training with an all-female team who will compete against a group of men in the Beauty v Brawn challenge across the Channel.

Media interest in the race has intensified following speculation that Miss Middleton has resumed her relationship with the second-in-line to the throne

The Brotherhood and Sisterhood teams will paddle from Dover to Calais across more than 20 miles of open sea and through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes in aid of charity later this month.

Media interest in the race has intensified following speculation that Miss Middleton has resumed her relationship with the second-in-line to the throne.

A spokeswoman for the Sisterhood said: "Kate Middleton has withdrawn from the race due to security issues surrounding the recent media circus."

Miss Middleton was persuaded to join the dragon boat race challenge by Sisterhood member Alicia Fox-Pitt, a school friend from Marlborough College.

She was training to helm the boat for the race, standing at the back steering.

The group are set to become the first all-female team to cross the Channel in a dragon boat.