London:
Prince William has finally become engaged to long time girlfriend Kate Middleton, giving her his late mother's engagement ring and Britain the prospect of its biggest royal wedding since Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer almost 30 years ago.
Royal officials announced on Tuesday (16 Nov 2010) that William will marry Middleton next spring or summer in London, ending years of rumored splits, reconciliations and will-they, won't-they speculation.
The college romance that seemed to wilt under the pressure of adulthood and the glare of the paparazzi had blossomed at last.
William proposed during a holiday in Kenya last month and gave Kate the oval blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds from jeweler Garrard that his mother, Princess Diana, once wore.
William later said that was his way of making sure that his mother did not miss out on the special say as the couple posed for photographers inside St. James' Palace.
William is second in line to the British throne after Charles, his father.
Kate and William's first child would move ahead of his younger brother Prince Harry to become third in line to the throne.
Kate acknowledged that being queen was "a daunting prospect" and declined to say whether the prince had gone down on bended knee when he proposed.
Many in Britain welcomed the royal engagement as a rare piece of good news in a time of economic uncertainty and cutbacks - a time much like 1981, when millions watched Charles and Diana's fairy-tale wedding.
Their marriage eventually ended in divorce - but no one was dwelling on that detail Tuesday.
William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband Prince Philip "are absolutely delighted for them both," Buckingham Palace said.
Prince Charles said he was "absolutely thrilled," and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, said her stepson's engagement was "the most brilliant news."
Middleton's parents, Carole and Michael, welcomed the prince to their family.
"We all think he's wonderful and we're extremely fond of him. They make a lovely couple, they're great fun to be with and we've had a lot of laughs together. We wish them every happiness for the future," Michael Middleton said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was delighted by the "incredibly exciting" news and sent the couple his best wishes.
Few were surprised by the news. Kate and William's engagement was the safest bet in Britain, an event so certain that bookies had stopped taking bets on a 2011 wedding. The date avoids London's Summer Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, both being held in 2012.
Sarah Haywood, a celebrity wedding planner, said on UK broadcaster Sky News on Tuesday that she hopes Kate Middleton knows what lies ahead of her.
"One assumes that Kate Middleton has understood, after all this time, what she's getting herself into and is accepting of the fact that her day is pretty much going to be hijacked. It's a state occasion, it's a national occasion, so although it's their day it still is a huge, huge occasion," she added.
No venue has been announced yet.
For true pomp, the ceremony is likely to fall between the extraordinary spectacle of Charles and Diana's wedding in St. Paul's Cathedral and Charles' subdued second marriage to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Windsor Guildhall in 2005.