William & Catherine’s Engagement Press Call

Following the announcement of their long-awaited engagement, Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton held a press call to mark the occassion, at St James’ Palace.

At a quarter to five, the couple entered one of the Palace’s reception rooms and were greeted by a slew of reporters and photographers from the British media. William and Catherine, blinded initially by the flashing lightbulbs, posed for photos before answering some questions from the media.

Naturally, the first question was regarding the proposal – how, when, where. “He’s a true romanitc, and we had a wonderful holiday in Africa, and it was out there in a very quiet lodge. It was very romantic, and it was very personal,” Catherine answered, smiling happily. Laughing, Prince William then said whether or not he got down on one knee would remain the couple’s secret. Catherine was then asked how she felt about joining the Royal Family, to which she replied that “it was a daunting prospect” but that her fiancé was a good teacher and she hoped she would take her future duties in her stride. William then joked that she was “good at flattery”, earning a chuckle from both fiancée and media.

“I didn’t realise it was a race, otherwise I probably would have been a lot quicker,” Prince William said when queried about his and Catherine’s long courtship (they have been dating for eight years). “The time is right now. We’re both very, very happy and I’m very glad that I have done it.”

The media then turned to probably the most exciting part of a royal engagement – the engagement ring. It had been revealed shortly after the announcement that Prince William had given the 18ct sapphire and diamond engagement ring that had belonged to his mother, the late Diana Princess of Wales, to his future bride. “It’s very special to me. As Kate’s very special to me now, it was right to put the two together. It was my way to make sure my mother didn’t miss out on today, and the excitment, and the fact that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together,” was William’s comment on his choice of ring. Catherine clearly understands the importance and significance of this ring to the Prince, and chose a dark blue wrap dress by her favoured designer Issa for the day to compliment the ring.

Engagement of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, 16 November 2010

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Engagement, Press Conference, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Cambridge.