12 Years Ago: Prince William and Catherine’s Engagement

Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have been in the public eye ever since they were first spotted skiing together in 2004.

However, their love story dates back even further to when they were both students at the University of St Andrews in 2001.

But it wasn't until exactly 12 years ago that they made a significant statement to the world by announcing their engagement and impending nuptials.

To commemorate the event, the couple sat down for a rare interview with ITV's Tom Bradby.

During the conversation, they discussed how their friendship turned into love, William's romantic proposal in Kenya, and how their 2007 breakup ultimately turned out to be temporary.

However, when examining the interview from back in 2010, William refers to his future wife by a moniker that he now uses infrequently in public.

For nine separate times throughout the interview, he calls her Kate, the name the Princess was known by during her time at university.

Since their wedding in April 2011, however, William has rarely used the moniker Kate when referring to her in public or in speeches, preferring to use her full name, Catherine.

Last week, the Princess herself used the name Catherine when introducing herself to a young child who asked her what her name was.

Despite their engagement being 12 years ago, their love story dates back even further as they first laid eyes on each other when they were both students at St Andrews University in Scotland.

During the engagement interview, William admitted he would have to rack his brains to remember their first meeting.

But Catherine remembers the moment perfectly and it's fair to say it was understandably probably wasn't her most cool and collective moment.

William and Catherine also spoke about their brief split and explained why it was so important to their relationship.

The now Prince of Wales said, “We did split up for a bit.

We were both very young.

It was at university and we were both finding ourselves in being different characters and stuff.

It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up.

It was just a bit of space.

It worked out for the better.”

At another point in the ITV interview back then, William also admitted he was too afraid to ask Catherine's father, Michael Middleton, for his daughter's hand in marriage in advance.

And although they chatted to him afterwards, Catherine still wasn't sure if her mother Carol knew, which made for an awkward situation.

He explained during their engagement interview with journalist Tom Bradby in 2010, “Well, I was torn between asking Kate's dad first and then the realization 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.”

William also revealed it took him a whopping three weeks before he decided to propose and he carried the ring around with him everywhere.

“I had been carrying the ring around in my rucksack for about three weeks before the proposal,” William told ITV.

“Everywhere I went, I was keeping a hold of it because I knew if this thing disappeared, I'd be in a lot of trouble.”

The couple finally got married in 2011 in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey with Catherine wearing an ivory silk tulle Alexander McQueen wedding dress.

After their wedding, they welcomed three beautiful children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Their engagement continues to be memorable and heartfelt for the pair, with William explaining at a reception marking the UK Africa Investment Summit in 2020, “The African continent holds a very special place in my heart.

It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died.

And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee.”

In conclusion, Prince William and Catherine's engagement 12 years ago was a significant moment in their love story.

Their relationship has been followed closely by the public ever since they were first spotted skiing together in 2004.

Despite a brief split, the couple's love for each other only grew stronger, leading to their spectacular wedding in 2011 and the birth of their three children.

Their engagement will always be remembered as a heartfelt moment that marked the beginning of a beautiful journey together.