People

By Michele Orecklin

ED THE ENGAGED

In a decision both utterly momentous and without any obvious historical significance, PRINCE EDWARD, youngest son of the Queen of England, last week announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend SOPHIE RHYS-JONES. Edward, 34, whose chances of ascending the throne are virtually nil, has struggled gamely to establish an independent identity, founding his own television production company and using the name Edward Windsor. Rhys-Jones, 33, whose father is a tire salesman, runs her own public relations firm. As hope springs eternal, even in royal residences, the palace is reportedly thrilled and optimistic, despite the fact that the marriages of Edward's three siblings ended in divorce. The couple said they hope for an intimate family wedding this spring. Fortunately, the chapel where they plan to marry seats no more than 800.

IN COFFEE CLASH, DEBBIE FALLS FROM VIEW

The job description seemed easy enough, even for a 23-year-old with no journalistic experience and a limited vocabulary. All you had to do was show up on time to banter with the other hosts and make sure the network emblem plastered on your coffee mug was visible to the camera when you drank from it. But last week DEBBIE MATENOPOULOS lost her regular cushion on the couch of The View, the ABC talk show hosted by Barbara Walters and four other women of varying ages. As an unknown MTV production assistant, Matenopoulos was chosen for the show to represent youth, a task she accomplished all too well with callow contributions that often left her colleagues dumbfounded. Matenopoulos is now pursuing other projects, including a TV sitcom, a realm in which her ability to be blond and look good in clothes may be more esteemed.

GEORGE COSTANZA, PHONE HOME

How much does this guy miss being on TV? For nine seasons JASON ALEXANDER played George on Seinfeld, one of television's highest-rated programs. Last week he shot a guest appearance on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, a show of which he's been a longtime fan but which rarely cracks the top 75. In a departure from his Seinfeld character, Alexander plays an alien in possession of both charisma and intelligence. The episode will air in the spring, but for those who can't wait to see how Alexander may look, we took some hints from the producers and had our artist render a very liberal interpretation.

KISS 'N' MAKE UP OF THE WEEK

NAME: George ("the Boss") Steinbrenner AGE: 68 OCCUPATION: Yankee owner known for pink slips and helmet hair BEST PUCKER: Ended 14-year feud with Yogi Berra by telling him that having an underling fire Berra as manager in 1985 was "the worst mistake I've ever made in baseball"

NAME: Lawrence ("Yogi") Berra AGE: 73 OCCUPATION: Yankee Hall of Famer known for inadvertent drolleries BEST PUCKER: Said, inevitably, "It's over," accepted the Boss's apology and claimed he may show up at Yankee Stadium next season for the first time in 14 years

THE WINNER Young--and young-at-heart--baseball fans everywhere