Every proposal comes with a story, and even one element of Prince William's proposal to the Princess of Wales had the potential to go horribly wrong.
Ahead of their thirteenth wedding anniversary of 29th April, it’s time to look back on this fairytale romance and the future King's proposal to his wife Catherine.
It was back in November 2010 that Kate and William revealed their engagement, before the couple tied the knot in a stunning wedding at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. At the time, the newly engaged couple sat down with ITV’s Tom Bradby to discuss the details of their romantic proposal on holiday in Kenya.
As with all nervous partners who get down on one knee, Prince William was conscious that he wanted to propose at the right time on the trip, which meant he ended up carrying the £100,000 engagement ring, that once belonged to Princess Diana, in his rucksack for three weeks. Finally, he popped the question to Catherine and the rest is history. Yet, William admitted, "I knew if this thing disappeared, I’d be in a lot of trouble."
According to OK!, the future King said he chose this vacation spot because of a sentimental reason.
He said, "It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee."
William famously proposed with his late mother's engagement ring, a Ceylon sapphire which was surrounded by diamonds, which was resized by G. Collins and Sons.
Seven years later and it was his younger brother, Prince Harry, who also took inspiration from his mother’s jewellery to design a fitting engagement ring for his future wife, Meghan Markle.
Harry set a Botswana diamond in between two smaller stones from his late mother’s private collection, with a band that also featured delicate gems.
With every royal engagement, there’s a universal fascination with the announcement, as it kick-starts the preparation for a royal wedding.
Royal expert Robert Hardman explained, "When a royal couple tell us they're engaged, we're fascinated by everything from the dress design to who the bridesmaids and best man will be and where we're going to watch it. People love to make a day of it with street parties and things, so there's huge interest from the word go."
After a difficult few months for the royals, with Catherine revealing she’s receiving preventative chemotherapy following the King’s own cancer diagnosis, it’s hopeful the next few weeks will be brighter for them. Prince Louis marked his sixth birthday on Tuesday and Prince William made his return to royal duties last week, for the first time since Kate's cancer news.
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