WITH the Duke of York's legendary eye for beautiful and influential women, it is little surprise that he now finds himself in the company of Amanda Staveley.

At the age of only 28, Miss Staveley has already been a restaurateur, dotcom millionairess and captain of British industry.

She is the toast of the so-called "Silicon Fen" science park in Cambridge, a dedicated industrialist who is well used to having the ear of the great and the good.

Captains, and admirals, run in her family. Her late cousin, Sir William Staveley, was an Admiral of the Fleet, which made him Prince Andrew's boss in the days when the dashing Prince sailed the high seas. Her family is one of the grandest clans in the county. The Staveleys, of North Stainley, near Ripon, have owned the land of Lightwater Valley since the time of Cardinal Wolsey, who handed it to John Staveley in 1516.

Her father, Robert, allowed the valley's hugely successful theme park, home of the world's longest rollercoaster, to be built on his land, and owned the park until an emotional farewell in 1997.

Educated at an unnamed but exclusive girls' boarding school in York, Amanda began her career by opening a swanky restaurant called Stocks, in Cambridge.

She later formed Q.ton, a business empire based at Cambridge's pioneering Science Park. The vast Q.ton Forum complex provides fledgling businesses with state-of-the-art telecom links, video conferencing and marketing facilities, as well as shops and a health club.

Both father and daughter are tight-lipped about the romance which is blossoming between Andrew and Amanda.

Amanda told the Evening Press: "My private life is exactly that: private, and quite apart from my business activities."

Robert said: "I can verify that...reports on this matter are accurate, and that they have been seeing quite a lot of each other.

"More than that, about my daughter's personal life, I would not want to say."

It is reported that Prince Andrew has now introduced Amanda to the Royal Family as "the new woman in his life", and that she has spent several weekends at Buckingham Palace.

The Prince met Amanda in his capacity as a roving trade ambassador when he visited Q.ton in November. It is believed Andrew, 42, invited her out to dinner the next day.

Amanda regularly wins awards for her involvement in industry, and has given her name to several other awards. Most recently, she was named Businesswoman of the Year in the Cambridge Evening News Business Excellence Awards.

She regularly joins in debates and discussions on Britain's economic future, and recently crossed swords with critic Germaine Greer in a debate on the future of her adoptive city, at the prestigious Cambridge Union.

Before his marriage to Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew was dubbed "Randy Andy", following a string of liaisons with gorgeous women, including the actresses Koo Stark and Katie Rabett.

He is also a close associate of Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late media mogul Robert, and has been seen in her company several times since the break-up of his marriage.

But now, it seems, his heart belongs to the girl from North Stainley.

"I do read the papers," said Robert.

"And what I have seen so far about what is happening has been correct."

Updated: 11:51 Tuesday, March 12, 2002