Tad Safran caused a bit of a stir last year when he wrote in times2 that British women were unattractive. Some readers balked. One of them was Molly Watson. As it turns out, the pair disagree on almost everything...

Tad: I never thought I'd say this, Molly, but I'm beginning to feel sorry for Prince William. The pressure on him to marry Kate Middleton is getting ridiculous. Why can't everyone just leave the poor guy alone?

Molly: Forget leaving him in peace. I think the more onerously the pressure mounts on him to make a decision, the better.

Tad: Putting more pressure on a man is not the way to get him to propose.

Molly: Who said I want him to propose? I don't care if William marries Kate or buys her a one-way ticket to Dumpsville.

Tad: He won't have to buy her a ticket. He can fly her there himself in his helicopter. But if you don't care, why hassle William?

Molly: Because watching him procrastinate about Kate is like watching an accident unfold in slow motion. And the longer it goes on, the slimmer the chances of a happy ending.

Tad: But he's only 26 and Kate is his first serious girlfriend. You don't buy the first flat that you look at, or book the first holiday that you read about. Why force William to marry the first girl he goes out with?

Molly: I'm not forcing him to marry her. I'm saying that if he's not going to marry her then he should break her heart sooner rather than later, before her hopes get even higher.

Tad: Who's to say it's his decision? Maybe Kate is unsure about marrying...

Molly:...a tall, good-looking, charming, polite, educated, athletic, rich, powerful, and, by all accounts, comparatively unspoilt bona fide prince she has devoted the past eight years of her life to?

Tad: I take your point. It's probably more William's decision than Kate's.

Molly: And if he doesn't decide soon, he could be accused of stealing her twenties.

Tad: Still, she hasn't been taken hostage by him. If she's tired of waiting she can move on.

Molly: I guess she might grow to appreciate the upside of not being enmeshed in the irrelevant soap opera that is the Windsors. But it sounds like the consolation prize to me.

Tad: Some might call it a bullet dodged. The Royal Family doesn't exactly have a spotless track record when it comes to choosing spouses. Surely it's not a bad thing for William to take his time?

Molly: I don't know why you think that time is going to help him. Science proves that we feel most certain about our feelings for someone during the first 18 months of falling for them. The rest is just garnish.

Tad: You may feel more “certain” about your feelings, but that doesn't make your feelings correct. Insane asylums are packed with people who feel “certain” they're Jesus.

Molly: But who, apart from said loonies, has ever stood at the altar safe in the knowledge that they have definitely made the correct decision? That's why men in particular need to have the wind behind them to make them take the plunge.

Tad: Quite the opposite. The real test is to see if you still want to look at your partner's pillow-creased face over tea and toast when the sexy lingerie is gathering dust at the back of a drawer and breaking wind in bed is acceptable behaviour. That must be the best indication for long-term success.

Molly: But William can't meaningfully judge how he feels about Kate because he has nobody to compare her to, and he can hardly play the field with her in tow.

Tad: Don't worry about William not having his fun. He seems like a traditional chap. I'd imagine he'll follow in the time-honoured family custom of having mistresses.

Times recommends

• Live chat: Thrifty ways to update your winter wardrobe
• Is anybody out there really listening?
• Nutrition Q&A: Will eating late make me fat?