Prince William and Kate ‘anxious to have children,’ says insider

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Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, watch a dance presentation Sunday in Los Angeles. | Liz O. Baylen~AP

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Updated: July 14, 2011 2:41AM

In the wake of Prince William and his wife Catherine’s hugely successful North American tour, royal representatives have made it very clear that the newlyweds are heading into a more private, under-the-radar period. The couple are planning to spend the bulk of the next few months at their home in Wales.

That would jibe with reports I’m hearing from good royal sources who expect William and Kate will be concentrating on starting a family — right away.

“You have to remember, they have been in a relationship for much of the past nine years,” said a longtime Buckingham Palace insider. “They understand their responsibility to provide royal heirs, but — beyond all that — this is a loving couple who are anxious to have children. . . . It’s something you sense they are really looking forward to enjoying.”

† Beyond that, it is understood that both Queen Elizabeth II and her 90-year-old husband, Prince Philip, have made it very clear to William how much they hope to see him provide them with at least one great-grandchild — and very soon.

† No fool Katie Holmes. While the actress was unable to get a “girls” luncheon on Duchess Catherine’s very tight schedule during that brief trip to Southern California, she attempted to appeal to Kate’s well-known fashion sense — shipping off a selection from the well-reviewed first season of Katie’s Holmes & Yang collection.

ROMANTIC RUMBLINGS: Word has it, Charlize Theron is not happy that her quiet dating of Ryan Reynolds — which the new couple has kept secret for several months — has been exposed by a number of celebrity mags. “Charlize is obsessed with privacy. While she knew this couldn’t last forever, she was hoping there would be some more private time before photos of her and Ryan were splashed across the front pages of the tabloids,” a Theron friend said Wednesday.

† Knowing how intensely beau and “Twilight” co-star Robert Pattinson likes to focus on his acting, Kristin Stewart has found ways to sneak onto his “Cosmopolis” set in Toronto — so not to distract him.

UNWANTED FOCUS: After that scary car chase — with paparazzi so intent on getting a shot of Paris Jackson, two were arrested by Los Angeles cops — Michael Jackson’s only daughter is said to be completely “freaked out” by the frightening experience.

Paris unfortunately may face more of that in the future. Hollywood paparazzi are convinced the teen’s beauty and desire to become an actress will turn her into a new Jackson icon they expect will provide them with high-paying photo fodder for years to come.

HAT’S OFF TO YOU: Lady Gaga is such a big fan of noted British milliner Philip Treacy, she is planning on spending a number of days “interning” with the famous hat maker. Treacy, who created many of the fancy chapeaux worn to the recent royal wedding — including that wacky one gracing the head of England’s Princess Beatrice — confirmed in an interview with the Guardian newspaper’s website that he and the pop superstar are working to make this happen.

†A non-musical interest of Gaga’s is her obsession with “Antiques Roadshow.” The diva reportedly so loves the long-running TV series, she wants to go on to showcase her own knowledge of English furniture.

SICK BAY: Get-well wishes go out to the Divine Miss M — the great Bette Midler — who unfortunately had to drop out of the HBO film about convicted murderer and legendary music producer Phil Spector. Midler was stricken with a herniated disc shortly before filming was scheduled to begin, with her portraying Linda Kenney Baden, a defense attorney during Spector’s first trial.

SEEN ON THE SCENE: Bernie Daley, wife of White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, slipped into the Oak Tree restaurant at 900 N. Michigan for breakfast during a brief trip home from D.C., where her hubby is busy working on the budget crisis negotiations — and his diet, now that he’s given up bread. . . . Syndicated sex advice columnist and noted gay activist Dan Savage checked out About Face Theater’s production of “The Homosexuals” — playing at Victory Gardens this summer. . . . Noted adult film star Ron Jeremy was spied playing Ping-Pong at Streeter’s Tavern. . . . After Tom O’Gorman’s jam-packed “Portraits and Images Among the Beasts” exhibit Tuesday at Revival Gallery, Mayor Rahm Emanuel was spied dining at nearby Le Bouchon bistro. . . . Among famous faces seen recently at David Burke’s Primehouse were talk-show host Craig Ferguson and newlywed Bears tight end Kellen Davis.

Bill Zwecker reports regularly on WFLD-Channel 32.