Fifteen years on from the day Prince William announced his engagement to Kate Middleton, the formidable royal couple are stronger than ever as they prepare to be King and Queen, all while navigating family life, royal duties and devastating health battles
They are now the confident future King and Queen combining their royal duties with bringing up their family. And the moment that the lives of the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as the monarchy, changed forever happened exactly 15 years ago – cementing Kate’s future role.
It was in November 2010 that Prince William and the then Kate Middleton announced to the world that they were to marry – meaning that Kate would become a future Queen. William popped the question on a romantic holiday to Kenya, presenting his bride to be with his late mother Princess Diana’s priceless sapphire engagement ring.
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Since then, the couple has gone on to marry, welcomed three beautiful children, become Prince and Princess of Wales – and of course have had to navigate unexpected health challenges and a family rift. But 15 years ago, the young couple were care-free and looked excitedly into the future – and looking back on that historic moment, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK!, that historic moment couldn’t have come at a better time.
She exclusively said: “I think there was something of a national sigh of relief when William finally announced his engagement to Catherine. The relationship had been going on for the best part of a decade: they had broken up for a short period, then they were back together but still, he didn’t put a ring on her finger. And then came the announcement that he had proposed in Africa. Phew!
“When they finally sat down for their ‘engagement interview’ we all discovered that she was an extremely personable, already quite confident, young woman – and that they were an established couple who understood each other very well and were clearly very much in love. It was a sharp contrast to that awkward interview many years earlier when Charles and Diana got engaged.”
William and Kate’s love story began many years before their engagement after the pair met at St Andrews University, where they were both students. Romance blossomed but it wasn’t always smooth sailing as they did split briefly back in 2007. However by 2010, William was ready to make Kate his wife and the future Queen and he whisked her away to Kenya, where he got down on one knee.
In an interview after they announced their happy news to the world, William revealed: “I’d been planning it for a while but as any guy out there will know it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. I was planning it and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful at the time. I had done a little bit of planning to show my romantic side.”
He added: “I had been carrying the ring around with me in my rucksack for about three weeks before that and I literally would not let it go, everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it because I knew this thing, if it disappeared I would be in a lot of trouble and because I’d planned it, it went fine. You hear a lot of horror stories about proposing and things going horribly wrong – it went really, really well and I was really pleased she said yes.”
Of course unlike everyone else, Kate agreeing to marry William did not just mean she would be his wife, it also meant she was entering into a lifetime of royal duty, which will one day culminate in her being Queen.
Many would make comparisons to William’s late mother Princess Diana – and when asked about her in the engagement interview, Kate said: “Obviously I would have loved to have met her and she’s obviously an inspirational woman to look up to. Obviously on this day and going forward and things, you know it is a wonderful family, the members who I’ve met have achieved a lot and very inspirational.”
But William was quick to reassure her saying: “There’s no pressure though. There’s no pressure, like Kate said it is about carving your own future. No one is trying to fill my mother’s shoes, what she did was fantastic. It’s about making your own future and your own destiny and Kate will do a very good job of that.”
And Jennie explained: “I’m sure they both felt the weight of history on their shoulders when they decided to marry. Catherine was not just marrying the man she loved, she was entering into an agreement to be a future queen – with all the responsibility that carries. She was also signing up to a lifetime of scrutiny by the press and public. And that is a pressure few of us can imagine. But, all these years on, she has shown that she is equal to the challenge, and she has claimed her place in the public’s affection.
“I think the bedrock of their relationship is that they met in the way so many young couples meet, at university, and they were friends before they became lovers. And that friendship has clearly deepened – along with their love for one another – as the years have gone by.”
Of course since that moment they announced their engagement 15 years ago, the couple has celebrated massive highs. First came their fairy tale royal wedding just months after announcing their engagement at Westminster Abbey, where they finally said ‘I do’. Two years later they welcomed their first child George before Charlotte followed in 2015 and Louis in 2018.
One major change came in 2022, with the death of the late Queen. When the King ascended to the throne, William and Kate were quickly made Prince and Princess of Wales. It all tied in with a major family move as they quit London life to move to Windsor.
But it also proved a hugely turbulent time as the publication of Prince Harry’s controversial memoir Spare laid bare the rift between William and Kate with Harry and his wife Meghan. William is believed to be no longer on speaking terms with his brother as the couples lead completely separate lives on either side of the Atlantic.
Last year one of the biggest tests of their union came when the world was left shocked when Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatment. The announcement came just days after the King also revealed his cancer diagnosis, with William describing the time as brutal.
However, earlier this year, Kate revealed the happy news that she is now in remission and her pubic appearances have slowly been increasing – with her and William looking happier than ever. Jennie said: “William and Catherine have needed that solid foundation in order to face the challenges that life has thrown at them. The heartbreaking rift with Harry must have taken its toll.
“I’m sure it’s been hugely valuable for William to be able to talk through his emotions with his wife. And then the cancer diagnosis of both Catherine and Charles must have hit them like a sledgehammer. As William himself has said, it has been brutal, but he is hugely proud of both his wife and his father.”
Since then, many have noticed a welcomed change in the couple’s relationship with displays of affection, including loving glances and tender touches more noticeable. Last year, the couple laid bare their affectionate nature in a highly personal video to announce the end of Kate’s cancer treatment, which saw William tenderly embracing his wife in a cuddle on the beach and placing a kiss on her.
And their solid relationship along with their popularity with the public can only be a good thing, according to Jennie. She explained: “To my mind, all that has happened has made William and Catherine an even stronger couple: we have seen them hugging, laughing, loving and endearingly protective of one another in the videos that they have released.
“And I think that has allowed us to see a little of what they are like in private – and it’s pretty much what we see in public, although family life is probably a little less dignified and quite a lot more boisterous behind the scenes. As William recently said George is quite a different character in private! There’s no doubt that this happy marriage between the Prince and Princess bodes well for the future of the monarchy.”
