Prince William’s cheeky move when he asked Kate Middleton to marry him 14 years ago
The Prince and Princess of Wales announced their engagement during a photo call at Clarence House 14 years ago on November 16, 2010. It emerged that Prince William had asked the all important question a few weeks earlier during a private holiday to Kenya – but he chose to stray from convention in a surprising way.
He said: “Well, I was torn between asking Kate’s dad first and then the realisation that he might actually say ‘no’ dawned upon me. 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 and then it sort of happened from there.”
The couple had become engaged during a private holiday to Kenya a few weeks earlier and had travelled around the country before heading to Lake Rutundu, which William had decided was the perfect place to pop the question.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, he booked a log cabin for their stay and the couple spent the day fishing for rainbow trout. She claims that when they returned to the lodge, William took Kate out onto the veranda, got down on one knee and proposed.
The following morning it was time to check out and head home – but not before they both wrote a goodbye message in the lodge’s guestbook. Kate wrote: “Thank you for such a wonderful 24 hours! Sadly no fish to be found but we had fun trying. I love the warm fires and candle lights—so romantic. Hope to be back soon.”
