'Time for Theresa May to step aside' - Telegraph readers react to the week's top stories

It was the news on Monday of another royal baby that had Telegraph readers taking to the comment section in their droves this week to share their reaction to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's impending arrival.

In Brexit news, how a no-deal Brexit could effect expats throughout Europe has been a big reader concern, and the Telegraph's France Expert, Anthony Peregrine, wrote a piece shedding light on what the French really think of Brexit and Britain that got our readers sharing their opposing views.

Elsewhere, the results of this week's Great British Bake Off sparked a fierce debate below the line on whether the right contestant was given the boot, and there was plenty of discussion around who should be on the new £50 note. 

Read on for our readers' views and then join the conversation yourself by simply logging in to your Telegraph account or registering for free, here. 

Royal baby: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child in the spring

Just three days after the wedding of Princess Eugenie, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the highly anticipated baby news that royal fans have been waiting for. Our readers took to the comment section to share their mixed response to the news.

'Best Wishes to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex!'

@Joelyn Livingston:

"Happiest news!

"Best Wishes to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex!"

'You don't steal a bride's thunder'

@Nikki Smith: 

"It is good news for them as they wanted a family.

"I think it was a bit rude to announce it to the family on Eugenie's big day. I get wanting to tell people in person or ahead of the public announcements but you don't steal a bride's thunder."

'At least this'll give the media an alternative to the never-ending Brexit misery'

@John Blackley:

"Congratulations to them. I hope the child will be healthy and the delivery not too difficult.

"At least this'll give the media an alternative to the never-ending Brexit misery."

What the French really think of Brexit (and the British) – an expat's view

From a "disdain of British food" to describing Brits as "polite, easily impressed and agreeably diffident," Anthony Peregrine discussed why Brexit won't really affect how the French view the British this week. But is that a true depiction? Our readers' views varied.

'That depends entirely upon which part of France we're speaking of'

@Linda Jones:

''What the French think....''   That depends entirely upon which part of France we're speaking of.  It's a big country.

"Personally, I've always found the French people friendly and welcoming - except in the big cities.

"Nothing new there, then."

'It is not only the French who are bemused by British tourists'

@Christopher Hill:

"Excellent article. It is not only the French who are bemused by British tourists. Excruciatingly shy and polite one minute, drunk and breaking the place up the next!"

'I have to disagree with the French about their food' 

@susan pritchard:

"I think the French and British people get along just fine. It’s the press who try to divide us and our differences should be embraced. That's why so many French people live here and so many Brits live in and love France...

"But I have to disagree with the French about their food which has not moved on for centuries. British food is amazing as we embrace change and diversity. Our cheese is amazing and we have an army of young food produces experimenting and developing new flavours and food of quality and excellence… don’t see that in France… but that could be all the problems in the bureaucracy to open any new business.

"As for the way we dress, that just illustrates our personal freedom. We do not have to worry about what people think as the French seem to do. Women dress for men in France ...what a bore!"

The Great British Bake Off 2018: Danish week - Hollywood gets tough, emotions fly and a très narrow escape

SPOILER ALERT!

It was Danish week on the Great British Bake Off and it was full of tears and burnt pastry, but our readers were fired-up about whether contestant Manon Lagreve's departure was the right decision.

'Most people are missing the point about Rahul and Manon'

@Zahid Qureshi: 

"Most people are missing the point about Rahul vs Manon.

"Rahul baked the worst Danish pastries. Manon baked better items but were French not Danish.

"It's like being asked to bake a cake, one bakes a rubbish cake but the other bakes a perfect loaf of bread. Who stays?"

'You begin to suspect GBBO is another tiresome fix'

@Richard Kenward:

"Rahul was the worst baker in all 3 rounds so how on earth can they keep him

"You begin to suspect GBBO is another tiresome fix."

'In the circumstances, I'd agree with the judges. Just.'

@John Kingston: 

"It would have been justifiable to send Rahul home but I think the judges made the right choice for one reason: they are more critical of doing the wrong thing than doing the thing wrong. I was convinced Ruby was going to be last in the technical when I saw her hand-stuffing her pancake balls, yet she was third ahead of Manon (who didn't produce pancakes of equal sizes) and Rahul's burnt offerings. Manon was criticised for being more French than Danish on all three bakes.

"As for the bakes themselves, the only part that either Rahul or Manon got right was the sweets on the showstopper -- and Rahul got higher praise than Manon for that.

"If it had been a double-ejection week it would have been a no-brainer. But in the circumstances, I'd agree with the judges. Just."

'Double standards'

@GR Gilbert:

"Jon had one poor week and he went. The same rules were not applied to Rahul who was last in every challenge. Double standards."

There's no question who should be on the new £50 note: Lady Thatcher

From Noor Inayat Khan to Harry Maguire - there were no shortage of names thrown around this week regarding who should be on the new £50. But for Zoe Strimpel it's a no-brainer that Margaret Thatcher - someone she described as "the most important leader of the post-war period" - should be the first choice.

'Hell, YES! Lady Thatcher'

@Edouard Pearse:

"Hell, YES! Lady Thatcher, the greatest PM of peace time Great Britain in the last 100 years."

'Why not have both Thatcher and Attlee?'

@Andy Hunt:

"Why not have both Thatcher and Attlee? Arguably the two most significant post-war PMs, opposite ends of the political spectrum but without either the country would look very different today."

'Politicians are in general a bad choice'

@Richard Hoskins:

"Margaret Thatcher is far too recent. She was, and still, is a divisive figure.

"Politicians are in general a bad choice.

"However Churchill has been so honoured. The argument was that during the War he united the Nation. He led a coalition which included all political allegiances. He inspired our people.

"The same could be said for Lloyd George. His leadership during the Great War again was inspired. He also led a coalition. His Government turned the war around, resulting in victory for the Allies. He had his faults, what politician hasn't. So did Churchill."

'How about James Clerk Maxwell?'

@Gregory Russell:

"How about James Clerk Maxwell? He unified electricity and magnetism, and demonstrated that light was an electromagnetic wave. Consequently, radio waves were predicted and confirmed.

"He's definitely up there with Newton and Einstein;  in a poll of physicists, Maxwell was voted the third greatest physicist of all time, behind those two."

If Theresa May can't deliver Brexit on time, she should let someone else do the job

Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns published a column in the Telegraph on Friday suggesting that it could be time for the Prime Minister to step aside for the good of Brexit negotiations. In response our readers have offered their own assessment on Theresa May’s ability to deliver Brexit on time.

'Fooled into putting all their energy into denouncing Theresa May'

@Bmew Sed:

'Sadly, and very cleverly, Brexiters have been fooled into putting all their energy into denouncing Theresa May instead of asking why their "leaders" are so ineffective.'

'Too late'

@Lee Roberts:

'It's too late, whoever will replace May will inherit her negotiations , the EU won’t be willing or able to start from scratch, and would most likely just sit it out till the 29th March.'

'Step aside'

@Nicholas Heasman:

'It’s time to step aside.'