Katie cruises without Tom

For months they have been declaring their undying love for each other.

But when her big moment came yesterday, Katie Holmes had to go it alone. Her superstar lover Tom Cruise was nowhere to be seen as she charmed crowds at the London premiere of Batman Begins.

Cruise did seem to be there in spirit, however. He is renowned for his mammoth film premiere walkabouts and Miss Holmes did him proud.

In a £10,000 black Marchesa dress, she chatted to fans and signed autographs for no less than 90 minutes, easily upstaging the Batmobile which made a gimmicky appearance in Leicester Square. Cruise, currently in Japan promoting his new film War of the Worlds, has said of Miss Holmes, 16 years his junior: 'I love this woman. She is magnificent.' The 5,000 fans at her premiere seemed to agree.

Batman Begins, a prequel to the existing four films, with Christian Bale in the title role, is a first Hollywood blockbuster for Miss Holmes, previously best known as Joey Potter from Dawson's Creek.

She said she and Cruise had no immediate plans to marry but blushed: 'It makes me smile just thinking about it.'