Why Kate Middleton was 'rendered speechless' over Prince William engagement
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been married for 14 years!
In November 2010, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement was all royal fans were talking about. With a royal wedding on the horizon, excitement for the couple was building rapidly.
However, it was October 2010 that actually changed the trajectory of their relationship, when Prince William popped the all important question.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement
Wills and Kate had already been dating for almost a decade by the time October 2010 came around. But this didn’t change just how much Kate Middleton was stunned by Prince William’s proposal, apparently.
Royal expert and author Katie Nicholl detailed the future king and queen’s romantic trip to Kenya where their engagement unfolded in her book, Kate: The Future Queen.
In her book, Nicholl claimed that Kate actually had “dared to hope that she might return from Africa with a ring on her finger,” but was still shocked when Prince William proposed with a giant sapphire, which was previously his mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring.
During the trip though, Kate was reportedly left disappointed as the end of the trip loomed. By the final day, according to Nicoll, “Kate had given up hope”.
Nicholl, as per the Daily Mail, explained that “Kate’s heart was heavy” when on the final day of their Kenya trip, there was still “no sign of a proposal”.
Prince William’s romantic proposal
Luckily for Kate, Wills had a very romantic trick up his sleeve.
He had in fact secretly extended their holiday.
William reportedly booked them a day and a night at the Il Ngwesi Lodge, a “remote log cabin in the heart of the countryside near the great Lake Rutundu,” which he had previously visited and “knew it would be the perfect place to return with someone special”.
When William did eventually get down on one knee, the future princess was apparently totally floored.
Especially by the famous and “immediately recognisable” jewel he held in his hand.
Princess Kate’s engagement ring
Prince William proposed with his mother’s engagement ring, a 12-carat oval Ceylon blue sapphire, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds.
When King Charles bought it for Diana in 1981, it reportedly cost £28,000. Today, it is valued at more than £300,000.
Unbelievably, Wills had been carrying the famous ring in his backpack as they ventured around Kenya.
Nicholl described that Kate was of course rendered “speechless,” by William’s romantic gesture. And in her own words, Kate later described the proposal as “very romantic” and admitted it was a “total shock”.
How Prince William got down on one knee
During their engagement interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby, Kate said of William that “there’s a true romantic in there”.
Kate also admitted she “wasn’t expecting” the proposal “at all”.
Speaking of getting down on one knee, William said: “As every guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going.”
He added: “So I was planning it, and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful.”
How sweet!
Royal Insider has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
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