Prince William of Wales and his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton are officially engaged. They faced the media on Tuesday in London as an affianced couple for the first time with Kate wearing a ring that first belonged to the late Princess Diana.
In pictures: William and Kate’s life together
In pictures: The life of Prince William
William popped the question to Kate while on holidays in Kenya a month ago. The ring, an oval sapphire cushioned in diamonds was also Diana’s engagement ring. “It’s my mother’s engagement ring, so of course it’s very special to me,” the prince said. “This was my way of making sure that my mother didn’t miss out on today.”
When asked about her thoughts on one day becoming queen, Middleton spoke earnestly. “It’s quite a daunting prospect but hopefully I’ll take it my stride,” she said. “But William’s a great teacher so hopefully he’ll be able to help me along the way.”
Rumours of an engagement went into overdrive a fortnight ago with British tabloids correctly predicting a wedding would be held in the summer of 2011. So safe was the prospect that many British betting agencies stopped taking bets on a 2011 wedding.
The internet went into a frenzy when the news was posted on the royal family’s Twitter pages.
“The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are absolutely delighted at the news of Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s engagement,” the Queen’s @BritishMonarchy page announced.
And Prince Charles’ @ClarenceHouse page said, “The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.”
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