The ongoing hype surrounding the royal wedding has ratcheted up a notch with increased speculation about the identity of the designer of Kate Middleton’s dress.

With the marriage just weeks away Clarence House are yet to reveal who will get fashion’s most sought-after commission.

The Sunday Times claimed Ms Middleton would be walking into Westminster Abbey wearing a dress designed by Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Express hinted that it was not Ms Burton but designer Bruce Oldfield who would be given the prestigious job.

The paper reported that members of Ms Middleton’s family had been pictured recently at Oldfield’s West London boutique.

But Clarence House remain steadfastly tight-lipped. A spokes-man said: “There has been endless speculation about the design. We are not responding to any speculation about the identity of the designer.

“That won’t be revealed until the day.”

But the sartorial excitement is not shared by all.

Graham Smith from Republic, the campaign group calling for a democratic alternative to the monarchy, said that with the ongoing crisis in Libya, the UK’s gloomy economic outlook and wide-ranging package of cuts taking hold, there were far more important issues occupying people’s minds.

He said: “This is trivial nonsense. The media generally are completely detached from the reality of this.

“Most people in the country are simply just not interested in Kate Middleton’s dress or her wedding.”