With my mother's ring I thee wed: Prince's moving tribute to Diana as he announces Royal wedding next year

By Nicola Boden
Last updated at 7:32 PM on 16th November 201

Engaged at last: Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton at St. James's Palace this evening
Couple became engaged in Kenya last month
William asked Kate's father for her hand
She ditches nickname for more formal Catherine
The Royal wedding will be in spring or summer
Kate and William will live in north Wales once married
Middletons say they're 'absolutely delighted'
Charles jokes 'they've been practising long enough'
William is 'extremely excited', says Cameron
Divorce lawyers are already talking pre-nups

Prince William revealed tonight that he proposed using the engagement ring of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, to make sure she 'didn't miss out on the excitement'.
The 28-year-old Prince used the dazzling oval blue 18-carat sapphire and diamond ring when he popped the question while they were on holiday in Kenya last month.
Diana, who died in 1997, chose the elegant cluster ring after becoming engaged to Charles in 1981 and William handing it on to his wife-to-be will undoubtedly have been hugely emotional.
At the time it cost £28,000 and was from a selection presented to her by jewellers Garrard. Because it was not made for her specially, it was open to the public to buy.
As they posed for pictures at St James' Palace tonight, William said giving Kate the ring was his way of ensuring his late mother could be part of the occasion.
In front of the world's press, he said: 'As you may have recognised, it's my mother's engagement ring, so of course it's very special to me and Kate's very special to me now as well, and it's only right the two are put together.
'It was my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today, and the excitement and the fact that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together.'

The eyes have it: Prince William and Kate Middleton speak of their engagement joy this evening

Taking it in their stride: Kate and William parade in front of the world's media this evening

He added: 'The timing is right now, we are both very, very happy.'

Kate said that joining the Royal Family was a 'daunting prospect' but added: 'Hopefully I'll take it in my stride and William's a great teacher so hopefully he'll be able to help me along the way.
'I'm really looking forward to spending my time with William.'
The Prince added: 'She's very good at flattery.'
Asked about the proposal, Kate said: 'It was very romantic, and it was very personal.'
Questioned if he got down on one knee to propose, William replied: 'That's going to stay a secret.'

More...

Asked about why they decided to marry now, and how long they have been dating, William said: 'I don't remember how many years it's been, forgetful memory.
'I also didn't realise it was a race, otherwise I probably would have been a lot quicker, but also the time is right now, we're both very, very happy, and I'm very glad that I have done it.'
Miss Middleton added: 'Obviously we have been going out a long time and, you know, we had spoken about our future and it just seemed the natural step for both of us.'
On their relationship William said: 'Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we're down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she's got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about.'

Centre of attention: Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton in St. James's Palace this evening

Centre of attention: Prince William and Kate Middleton in St. James's Palace this evening

In the spotlight: Kate, now to be known as Catherine, posed arm in arm with the Prince

Kate added: 'All of the same, but you know, over the years William has looked after me, he's treated me very well, as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and also through the bad times.'
Moments earlier the couple had spent a few minutes in a private meeting with journalists as William introduced his fiancee to the press.

Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she is congratulated on the news of Prince Williams engagement to Kate Middleton at Windsor Castle today

Kate was dressed in an eye-catching blue dress from the Issa fashion label founded by Brazilian designer Daniella Issa Helayel. The designer is known to be one of Kate's favourites.
William looked smart in a dark suit by Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes, who have dressed members of the royal family for more than 200 years.
Kate, also 28, had been dubbed 'Waity Katy' amid criticism she was hanging on for a proposal and did not have a proper job but now her wait is finally over.
She has abandoned her nickname and will be known as Catherine from now on.
David Cameron said William is 'extremely excited' and 'thrilled' as he appeared outside No10 to welcome the news this lunchtime.
The marriage will be the biggest royal event since the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981.
It is hoped the ceremony will give a huge boost to the nation and the economy as crippling public sector spending cuts hit home.
Bookies have made August 13th the early favourite for the wedding date and it is likely to take place at Westminster Abbey.
It is claimed personnel at the Abbey have already been contacted about a royal wedding in the second week of August, although St Paul's and Windsor Castle are other potential venues.
The Queen and the Queen Mother were both married in the Abbey but it also carries painful memories of William's mother's funeral in 1997.
Charles and Diana's fairytale ceremony was at St Paul's which has also been the recent location for major royal celebrations such as the Queen's 80th birthday.

Britain's Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton pose for photographers during a photocall to mark their engagement, in the State Rooms of St James s Palace

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on their engagement day, February 24 1981

Keeping it in the family: Kate and Diana wearing the same ring

The announcement from Prince William and Kate Middleton brings months of speculation about their intentions to an end

Media scrum: Members of the press across the street from Buckingham Palace today

In a full statement, Clarence House said: 'The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.
'The wedding will take place in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.
'Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya.
'Prince William has informed The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton's father.

TIMELINE TO THE ROYAL ROMANCE

SEPTEMBER 2001: Prince William and Kate Middleton meet at St Andrews University
MARCH 2002: William pays £200 to watch Kate modelling a sheer black lace dress in a fashion show
CHRISTMAS 2003: Rumours abound that the pair have started dating
MARCH 2004: The romance is exposed after they are pictured on the ski slopes of Klosters together
JULY 2005: The pair enjoy a romantic holiday at the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya
JANUARY 2006: William is photographed kissing Kate in public for the first time during a skiing break in Klosters
DECEMBER 2006: Kate makes her most significant appearance to date as she turns up to watch William graduate as an Army officer at Sandhurst
APRIL 2007: William and Kate are confirmed to have split but they secretly reunite within weeks
OCTOBER 2007: The couple are pictured back together for the first time
APRIL 2008: Kate is at William's graduation ceremony from the RAF, suggesting the couple's relationship is now permanent and has the approval of senior royals
JANUARY 2010: Kate watches as William graduates on an advanced helicopter training course and receives his flying badge from the Prince of Wales
FEBRUARY 2010: William says 'You'll have to wait a while yet' when asked about the prospect of a wedding
OCTOBER 2010: The couple are pictured in public together at a friend's wedding, sending speculation of an engagement to fever pitch
NOVEMBER 16: The couple's engagement is announced by Clarence House.

'Following the marriage, the couple will live in North Wales, where Prince William will continue to serve with the Royal Air Force.'
The engagement was also officially announced simultaneously on Facebook and Twitter, coming days after the Queen signed up to the social networking site.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are absolutely delighted for them both.'
Prince Charles, in Dorset, said he was 'thrilled' and joked that the couple had been 'practicing long enough'.
His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, on her way into a theatre in central London, added: 'It's the most brilliant news. I'm just so happy and so are they. It's wicked.'
Michael and Carole Middleton appeared outside their home in Berkshire - where police were on guard - shortly before 4pm to talk publicly about their daughter's relationship for the first time.
They said they are 'absolutely delighted' and 'thrilled'.
Mr Middleton said: 'As you know Catherine and Prince William have been going out together for quite a number of years. Its great for us because we have got to know him extremely well.
'We think he is wonderful. They make a lovely couple, they're great to be with and we've had a lot of laughs together. We wish them every happiness for the future.'
Earl Spencer, William's uncle and the brother of Diana, said: 'It's wonderful news. Very exciting. My family are all thrilled for them both.'
Mr Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband also said they were 'delighted' for the couple.

Wicked news: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall arrives at the Apollo Theatre today

The Prime Minister was told of the engagement during the Cabinet meeting this morning and relayed it to ministers.
He emerged from No10 just before 1pm to express his joy at the announcement and revealed he had just spoken to the Prince.
'I spoke to Prince William a few moments ago and passed on my congratulations. He was obviously extremely excited about the news and thrilled about what lies in store. It was wonderful to have that word with him and pass on my best wishes,' he said.
Mr Cameron added: 'This is incredibly exciting news and I am sure the whole country will want to pass on their congratulations.'
Recounting how he was handed a note with the news during the Cabinet meeting, he said: 'There was a great cheer that went up and a banging on the table.'
He said: 'It's great to have a piece of unadulterated good news that everyone can celebrate and be happy for them. I am sure it will be something when the country will come together. I remember when William's mother got married, I slept on the Mall that night and joined in the celebrations. I'm sure lots of people will want to celebrate in lots of different ways.'
He added: 'As well as this being a great moment for national celebration, I think we also have to remember that this is two young people who love each other who have made this announcement, who are looking forward to their wedding, and we must give them plenty of space to think about the future and what they are about to do.'
Kate's security detail will now be instantly upgraded to give her round-the-clock protection, befitting a Princess in waiting and - for now at least - her parents are also under guard.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed how the Middletons were guests at a private shooting party on the Queen's Scottish estate.

'Absolutely thrilled': Carole and Michael Middleton outside their Berkshire home today

Prince William and Kate Middleton at a wedding last month

Engaged at last: Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive together at a friend's wedding last month. It was significant because usually they arrive at events separately

WHERE WILL THEY MARRY?

WESTMINSTER ABBEY is considered the frontrunner. The Queen and the Queen Mother both married there but it also holds painful memories because of Diana's funeral.
Steeped in more than a thousand years of history, the gothic London Abbey has been at the forefront of major royal ceremonies for generation after generation.
The Queen wed Prince Philip of Greece there as a 21-year-old Princess on November 20 1947.
The Queen Mother, then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, married the Duke of York, later George VI, there on April 26 1923. Her funeral in 2002 as also at the Abbey.

ST PAUL'S is where Charles and Diana married in 1981 (right) and has been the focus for many royal celebrations.
The iconic building built by Sir Christoper Wren has recently held thanksgiving services for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and her 80th birthday.
It staged the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill, the peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars and more recently the Service of Remembrance and Commemoration for the September 11 terrorist attacks.

WINDSOR CASTLE is considered unlikely because it is out of London and will not allow a huge celebration at the heart of the capital.
However, it would prove easier for security because it could be cut off by a ring of steel more readily than locations in central London.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, married at the Guildhall there in 2005 before a party at the Castle (below).
The Prince of Wales with the Duchess of Cornwall

The Prince of Wales with the Duchess of Cornwall

The move was seen as highly symbolic and an indication that the middle-class Middleton family were now firmly being welcomed into the royal fold.
It is now clear that Kate and William were already engaged at the time of the visit to Birkhall, Prince Charles' private residence on the Balmoral estate.
The invitation to Mr Middleton, a former airline despatcher, and ex-air hostess Carole shows William was keen to start off on the right foot with his future in-laws.
Kate and William first met at St Andrews University where they were both studying history of art and lived close to each other in the halls of residence during their first year.
It was at a charity fashion show in March 2002, when Kate modelled a sheer black lace dress, that she was said to have first turned the Prince's head.
They moved in together with friends in 2002 but are not thought to have become a proper item until around Christmas 2003.
Their romance was exposed on a skiing holiday in Klosters in 2004 but William famously proclaimed: 'I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30' - setting the stage for a very long wait.
They split up in April 2007 as William became increasingly involved in his career in the Armed Forces but were secretly united within weeks.
In the past few months, the pair have been 'road-testing' married life on Anglesey, in Wales, where William works as a search-and-rescue pilot - although officially Kate is still living at her parents.
There was a significant shift last month when they appeared in public together for a friend's wedding.
They notably walked into the ceremony in Gloucestershire side by side when usually they would take pains to avoid being pictured together.
The last time Kate was seen before that had been in July and it is thought she had been kept in the background ahead of the engagement announcement.
Travel chiefs are already saying the wedding will be a massive boost to UK tourism ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics in 2012.

Young love: The couple at RAF Cranwell in 2008 when William received his wings

Out on the town: William and Kate after a party at Mahiki in 2006

Early days: The Prince and Kate at a rugby sevens event in 2003

VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: 'The wedding next year will mean that once again the eyes of the world will be turned to our nation.
'We will have a wonderful opportunity to showcase all that is best about the country - its heritage and its history and what being English is all about.'
With their engagement only just announced, divorce lawyers are already circling to warn that Kate should sign a pre-nuptial agreement before walking down the aisle.
A recent decision by the Supreme Court has strengthened the validity of pre-nups and effectively made them binding in English law.
Top divorce expert Isabel Thornton said today: 'In a more typical scenario, where two 28 year olds are soon to be married and a substantial disparity of wealth exists, one set of parents would undoubtedly be marching their offspring to see the lawyers as soon as possible.

A very modern engagement: Clarence House also announced the news on Facebook and Twitter

'However, whether the Royals will do the same remains to be seen. With the risk of setting a precedent in mind, I am sure careful consideration will be paid to the issue before any final decision is made, particularly given the Anglican belief in the sanctity of marriage.'

KATE 'THE COMMONER'

Today’s wedding announcement puts Kate Middleton in line to become the first commoner to be queen since Anne Hyde wed the Duke of York, later James II, in 1660.
Royal consorts have traditionally come from the ranks of Britain’s aristocracy or from other European royal houses. But numbered among Middleton's ancestors are Northumbrian miners and Kent builders' labourers.
Her mother, Carole, was formerly a British Airways flight attendant and her father, Michael, also once worked for BA making sure flights left on time and with the correct cargo.
They met while working for BA and started their married life in a flat in Slough, just across the river from the future in-laws.
But it is the family business Party Pieces, launched by Mrs Middleton from their home in Berkshire, which founded the family's wealth and gave their daughter entry into higher social circles

Diana's private secretary Patrick Jephson added: 'There will be a tidal wave of sentimental slush, but I believe what I'm saying. You've got be practical. If she was my sister, I'd tell her to get a good pre-nup.'
Mr Jephson urged Kate to carve a definite role for herself and refuse to be 'a wife, a pretty face' and warned: 'Kate's not just going into a marriage, she's going into a business.'
'She has to agree on her position especially in relation to her future husband William. She needs to know what's expected of her. Is it going to be a joint operation?'
On her prospects of a happier life as a royal than Diana, he said: 'She is much older than Diana was. She's got more experience. She knows William better.'
He referred to the night before the Princess's wedding when she was told: 'You can't back out, your face is on the tea towels' saying Kate should 'screw the tea towels'.
'If you've got serious reservations, don't go through with it. It's such a public thing. If they don't get this one right, what's going to happen to the whole institution in the long run?'
However, he added: 'If you get it right, it's the best job in the world. It can be fantastic. They should set off with the firm intention of making it the happiest job in the world.'

THE DRESS

Kate Middleton's wedding dress will be a demure, high-necked, hand-embroidered, lace couture gown, a bridal expert predicted today.
Peta Hunt, fashion director at You & Your Wedding magazine, suggested the new royal bride would opt for something traditional, but with a modern twist, coupled with a crown or tiara.
'I think it will be hand embroidered and I think with lace,' she said. She also suggested the royal bride would pick a fishtail style gown, rather than a large full skirt.
'I would say a fishtail, not in a sex goddess way, but straighter at the front. I think she plays down everything,'
She said the bridal gown - which is expected to be couture - would have to suit the venue.
'The dress would have to be a lot grander than most of the dresses we see in real life. She's got a great figure so in a way she can carry off most dresses.'
Miss Hunt predicted Kate would wear her hair up on this occasion, possibly in a low chignon, to 'show off all those jewels'.
William is likely to wear military uniform, but Miss Hunt said: 'It would be nice if he was dashing in tails.'
Dressmakers will copy Kate's creation as soon as it is seen publicly. Miss Hunt said her choice would influence bridalwear 'for years to come'.

THE WEDDING RING

If Kate follows royal tradition, her wedding ring is likely to be fashioned from a nugget of Welsh gold.
Since the custom was started by the Queen Mother in 1923, Welsh gold has been used for royal brides ever since.
The Queen Mother's wedding ring, the Queen's in 1947, Princess Margaret's in 1960, the Princess Royal's in 1973, Diana's in 1981 and Camilla's in 2005 were all made from the same nugget.

The gold came from the Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in North Wales.

There is now only a minute sliver - one gramme - of the original nugget left.
But in November 1981, the British Royal Legion presented the Queen with a 36-gramme piece of 21-carat Welsh gold for future royal wedding rings.
Part of this gold went into making Sarah, Duchess of York's ring in 1986.
The Duchess of Cornwall's wedding ring was also crafted from Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's mine and the river Mawdach in the Kings Forest.
It was handmade in court style by Wartski and the precious metal was supplied by Cambrian Goldfields Limited.

A HOUSE FIT FOR A PRINCE AND PRINCESS?

Enlarge

Clarence House today stressed that Prince William and his new bride will live in north Wales once they are husband and wife.
But it is unknown whether they will stay in the rented cottage in Anglesey where William is currently based after the ceremony.
For the last six months, the pair - who also lived together at St Andrews - have been 'road testing' married life by spending much of their time together in the close-knit community.
It has given them much-needed privacy away from the spotlight amid intense speculation about their future.
Locals around the island, off the coast of north Wales, have become accustomed to seeing the pair going about their business and have allowed them the space they need.
The exact location of the house has been kept secret to protect the Royal couple, who will one day be Prince and Princess of Wales.

Enlarge

Once married, they will also have the use of an apartment at Clarence House where Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry also have suites.
When William finishes his three-year stint in the RAF, he and Kate are expected to move to an eco-friendly house built by Charles at Harewood Park in Herefordshire.
Situated in prime countryside between Monmouth and Ross-in-Wye, the 900-acre estate was snapped up by the Duchy of Cornwall, which provides Prince Charles with his annual income, in 2000.
At the time it was in a sorry state, its Georgian mansion house demolished after being used as target practice for the SAS and replaced with a 70s style bungalow.
The Duchy subsequently announced plans to raze the existing building to the ground and over the last few years a team of artisans, builders and restorers have been sought to build a six-bedroomed neo-Georgian manor house masterpiece fit, say those in the know, for a king.
The multi-million property will boast two grand reception rooms, an orangery and even its own chapel when it is finished. There will also be a drawing room, study, kitchen, pantry and boot room.
In line with his father's green principles, William's new home has been built with every eco-friendly mod-con going including a red-bed sewage system, wood chip boiler, solar panels and walls lined with insulating sheep's wool.
Some critics have described the pillars and bronze figurines as being rather 'noveau-riche' but the sight of its stunning portico entrance and indoor courtyard suggests that it is fit for a (future) king.
As a teenager Kate always said her dream was to have 'a nice house in the country and some dogs'. Now that dream looks set to be realised - until the day that Buckingham Palace beckons.

From BA all the way to Balmoral, the awkward rise of the Middletons

By Geoffrey Levy and Richard Kay
The invitation of Kate Middleton's parents to be part of a private shooting party on the Queen's Scottish estate earlier this month - as revealed by the Daily Mail - was clearly a significant step.
But now it has emerged their daughter was already engaged when they spent the weekend with her and the Prince at Birkhall, Prince Charles’s private residence on the Balmoral estate.
It appears William was keen to spend some time with his future in-laws before all the chaos of a Royal wedding began and to give the whole family time to absorb the news before going public.
The couple have met the Royal Family on several occasions, including William’s Sandhurst graduation, and are rumoured to have been invited to stay at Highgrove with Prince Charles more than three years ago. But this is thought to be their first visit to Balmoral.

Bagging a royal son-in-law? Carole Middleton learns how to aim a rifle watched by her husband Michael

Clarence House insiders had insisted at the time that there were still no public plans for an engagement or wedding as they battled to keep the truth under wraps.
For them to be invited to Birkhall - lovingly redecorated for Charles by the Duchess of Cornwall - says everything about their daughter’s long haul towards becoming Princess of Wales.
If the past eight years have at times been tough for Kate (the paparazzi, a brief separation, the soubriquet ‘Waity Katie’), they have been even harder for her parents.
There have been years of omerta during which Carole Middleton has had to suffer in silence the insults and sneers from braying royal sycophants who cannot understand how William has fallen in love with a middle-class girl whose parents are 'in trade'.
Unlike other putative parents-in-law, Carole and Michael could not indulge in the pleasure of talking to friends and acquaintances about their daughter’s boyfriend and they certainly could not wonder out loud why it was taking him so long to propose.
True, Mrs Middleton made a monster faux pas by allowing herself to be seen chewing gum when she attended William’s passing out parade from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 2006. But it was nicotine gum.
Critics even put it about that when she was presented to the Queen at the passing out parade, she uttered the decidedly non-U greeting ‘Pleased to meet you’ (when she might have said ‘How do you do?’)
In fact, at that time the two women did not meet.
At least the oleaginous royal hangers-on have stopped sniggering behind their hands ‘Doors to manual’ when the Middleton women are around, a cheap shot at Carole’s former career.
And now, pictured with her husband at Balmoral joining in the country pursuits which are such a crucial element of Royal Family life, she can at last be said to have outlived envious gossip that she was a 'pushy' mother and ambitious social climber who sent her beautiful daughter to St Andrews University just because Prince William was going there.
The envy will not stop here, of course. It cannot be denied that the Middletons have profited hugely from their links to the Royal Family.
Kate’s younger siblings, James and Pippa, have used their reflected fame to publicise themselves and their businesses, which are related to the online firm, Party Pieces, founded by their parents.
James featured in a gushing profile across the glossy pages of Hello! magazine last year and later Pippa appeared in the Sunday Times’s Style magazine.
She invited the paper to meet her in a village pub to talk about the online magazine and catalogue she is launching to flog Party Pieces’ goods.

In more glamourous mode: Mrs Middleton and, below, her husband Michael

Carole was also there, apparently on the Dukan Diet (some days, it emerged, lunching on nothing more than prawns and cottage cheese). Could the diet be in anticipation of a wedding, perhaps?
True, they have been to Highgrove, once. But staying at Birkhall is different. It is a very intimate royal residence where houseguests are thrown very much together en famille.
Perhaps because of those early jibes, William has become close to Kate’s parents - and very protective of them.
He has holidayed with them in Mustique and sometimes watches television with supper on his lap when staying overnight at their home in the Berkshire commuter village of Bucklebury.
In recent months the prince, who is based at RAF Valley in Anglesey where he is an air-sea rescue helicopter pilot, has been joined by Kate at weekends in his rented white-walled farmhouse.
Locals have spotted the couple dashing about on the prince’s Ducati motorbike, dropping into pubs such as the White Eagle at Rhoscolyn. They have also been shopping at the local Tesco in Holyhead.
In the farmhouse they look after themselves. There are no domestic staff and they do their own cooking. But they are never completely alone because William’s protection officers are always around.
Despite all the envy and insults they have faced so far, the portents for Carole and Michael Middleton are surprisingly good. For William is determined to usher in a new era of inclusion, as far as royal in-laws are concerned.
The late mother of Captain Mark Phillips - Princess Anne’s first husband - complained bitterly that she and her husband were ‘virtually ignored and never invited to anything’ by the royals once their son had married the Queen’s only daughter.
The same happened to the Spencers, even though Princess Diana’s father had been a former equerry to the Queen and lived on the Sandringham estate.
And while the Duchess of York’s father, Major Ron Ferguson, was a popular figure until his death in 2003, he never became close to the Queen even when his daughter’s marriage to Prince Andrew was going well.
William is very aware that his future parents-in-law are stepping into unfamiliar territory.
For them it is worse, much worse, than for any other royal in-laws of recent times - because their daughter will one day be Queen. Hence their gentle introduction into his family’s love of country pursuits.