SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - That rumbling sound you hear in the distance just might be the stampede of single women everywhere toward England. Prince William, Britain’s hunky heir to the throne, is back on the market after splitting with longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton.

The news — on which royal reps refused to comment — was broken by U.K.’s The Sun. The paper reported that the 24-year-old military-officer prince’s move to an army base in Dorset meant he hardly ever saw London-based buyer Kate, 25.

But another factor in the breakup was allegedly the paparazzi pressure to announce a royal engagement.

“The sheer amount of attention Kate was getting put an unbearable strain on William,” a friend of the couple explained to the paper. “He, more than anyone else, will not be pressured into marriage by a media scrum hungry for an announcement. … [W]hatever the papers say — he still feels too young.”

Well, who can blame him for wanting to look around a little — considering he’s, oh, the biggest catch in the free world?

Eddie the Daddy?

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown has named her ex-boyfriend, Eddie Murphy, as father on the birth certificate of her infant daughter, Fortuna Daphne Bay.

And apparently she’s ready to prove it. The singer formerly known as Scary Spice reportedly has had the baby DNA tested.

“She is distraught that her baby has been subjected to the DNA-testing procedure,” a source told UK’s The Daily Mirror. “She can’t believe that it’s come to this and that Eddie hasn’t just admitted that the child is his.”

As Scoop! has reported, Eddie publicly insisted after dumping a pregnant Mel that “we don’t know who that child is until it comes out and has a blood test.” She fired back by insisting it was unquestionably Eddie’s.

The paper claims Mel has landed a lucrative magazine photo shoot deal that will show Eddie’s resemblance to the baby.

Can’t wait to see those pix!

A Crib for Cruz?

Was Penelope Cruz inspired by her ex-boyfriend Tom Cruise? The Spanish actress says that, like her former beau, she wants her family to be a mix of biological and adopted children.

“Of course I want to have kids,” the “Volver” star says in Spanish, but goes on to clarify, “I want to have my own kids, but also adopt. For a while I’ve had the feeling that my life won’t be complete if I don’t adopt.”

So what about a hypothetical father for these hypothetical kids? The actress, who has been linked with hotties from Matthew McConaughey to Orlando Bloom, says there’s no man in her life at the moment — “but that’s all I’m going to say,” she insists.

Dannielynn Delay

Now that Larry Birkhead has officially been named the biological father of Dannielynn Hope Marshall Stern, how come he’s still waiting to bring her home?

The fly in the ointment is — big surprise — Dannielynn’s grandmother Virgie Arthur, mother of the late Anna Nicole Smith. At Friday’s custody hearing, according to the New York Daily News, talks stalled because Virgie wants guardianship of Dannielynn in the event of Larry’s death.

A source told the paper that Larry, whose twin brother is a family man, believes his relatives should raise his daughter if anything happens to him.

Meanwhile, former rival paternity claimaint Howard K. Stern is working amicably with Larry to transition Dannielynn into his care.

Howard has told reporters that Larry “is doing a great job” becoming a parent to Dannielynn, adding, “Larry spent the majority of the last few days over at the house getting to know Dannielynn, changing her diapers, feeding her.”

The next custody hearing is set for Friday.

Kitty Raymond is an entertainment writer who has a celebrity astrology blog at www.celebastroblogy.com.

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