Kate Middleton and William's 'awkward' moment after engagement

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales walk during a visit to Long Meadow Cider on October 14, 2025 in Craigavon — (Image credit: Photo by Chris Jackson - Pool via Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

Prince William and Kate’s engagement announcement was met with outpourings of excitement across the world in November 2010 but the couple had several people to tell before the news went public. The future King actually proposed weeks earlier on holiday in Kenya and after she joyfully accepted, the time came to tell their families.

The Princess of Wales’s dad Michael Middleton was seemingly the first person in on the secret, as William explained that he’d spoken to him "soon after". However, this then left the couple to deal with an "awkward situation" later on as Kate didn’t know if her mum had heard the news…

"I think as any mother would be, she was absolutely over the moon," Kate told ITV News’s Tom Bradby in her engagement interview, adding, "We had quite an awkward situation because I knew and I knew that William had asked my father but I didn't know if my mother knew."

Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographs in the State Apartments of St James Palace on November 16, 2010 after announcing their engagement

The future Queen explained that she came back from Scotland and Carole "didn’t make it clear" to her whether she knew about the engagement or not. This left mother and daughter "there sort of looking at each other and feeling quite awkward about it".

From the sounds of Kate’s next remark, Michael hadn’t spoiled the surprise for Carole, as their daughter added, "But it was amazing to tell and obviously she was very happy for us."

Thankfully, the "awkward" moment was soon over and done with and it turns out Prince William slightly subverted tradition with his proposal. When he was asked by Tom whether he’d asked Michael’s permission first, he admitted he’d been "torn" but then the "realisation that he might actually say ‘no’ dawned upon [him]."

Carole and Michael Middleton smile outside their home after Kate and William's engagement is announced

William went on, "So I thought if I ask Kate first then he can't really say no. So I did it that way round. I managed to speak to Mike soon after it happened really."

Asking for Michael’s permission was a matter of respect and tradition, but getting sign-off from Queen Elizabeth was a matter of law. Her grandson reportedly asked for her formal permission before Clarence House made the engagement announcement and on 21st April 2011 - just eight days before the wedding - she signed a notice of approval to give her consent.

This was necessary due to the Royal Marriages Act 1772, which states that all descendants of King George II must obtain the Sovereign's agreement before they get married. Queen Elizabeth was "absolutely delighted" by the engagement and more than happy for them to tie the knot.

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales smile following their marriage at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London

Overall Prince William and Kate kept things private for almost a month before sharing their news on 16th November. In their interview, the future King described this huge moment as a "relief" after so long.

"It's been really exciting because we've been talking about it for a long time so for us, it's a real relief and it's really nice to be able to tell everybody," he said. "Especially for the last two or three weeks it's been quite difficult not telling anyone, keeping it to ourselves for reasons we had to. And it's really nice to finally be able to share it."

Nowadays as senior royals they’re used to sharing many sweet insights and moments with the world. The Prince and Princess of Wales will celebrate their 15th anniversary this April and I would expect special photos and even possibly a video to be released to mark the occasion.

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Emma is a Royal Editor with nine years of experience in publishing. She specialises in writing about the British Royal Family, covering everything from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her extensive royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the latest royal outing or unmissable show to add to your to-watch list, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!

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