This Is How Prince William Proposed To Kate Middleton

This is so sweet

Can you believe Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement almost nine years ago?

That's right, next spring it'll be a full nine years since we watched the couple tie the knot during a lavish ceremony – and fell in love with that little girl blocking her ears on the balcony.

The Duchess of Cambridge has just given her first televised interview as a member of the royal family, almost nine years since the very interview in which she and the duke announced their happy news back in 2010.

Since then the couple have of course started a family, with the adorable little Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis stealing the hearts of the nation on a regular basis. People are already speculating that a fourth baby Cambridge could be on the way soon.

You may remember that Prince William and Kate Middleton broke up before getting engaged, but have you heard the very romantic story behind Prince William's proposal?

The couple had been dating for eight years when William decided to pop the question. During a holiday in Kenya in October 2010, a few weeks before announcing their engagement in November, William decided the time was right and he got down on one knee.

During an interview with CNN, the Prince explained why he wanted it to really 'mean something', and why that time and location seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

'I regularly daydream. Africa is definitely one of the places I go to. It does completely settle me down. [Kate] understands what it means to me being in Africa, and my love of conservation,' he said.

'I didn't really plan it that far in advance. I just knew I wanted it to feel comfortable where I did it.'

At the time the prince also said that he was determined to use his late mother, Princess Diana's engagement ring as a 'way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement.'

He had in fact carried it around in his rucksack for three weeks before proposing, and was naturally terrified something would happen to it!

No, we're not crying, you're crying.

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.