Prince William is now an engaged man. The prince and his new fiancée, who appeared before cameras for the first time, both said that they believed the time was right for them to tie the knot.

The Prince proposed to Kate Middleton while they were on holiday in Kenya in October, giving her his mother’s engagement ring. The ring which belonged to Princess Diana and is cut with sapphire and diamond was the prince’s way of including his late mother in the excitement of the occasion. Miss Middleton hailed the late princess as an inspirational woman as the couple sought to assert that no-one was trying to fill her shoes.

The two are both 28 years of age and met while studying in St. Andrews University, Fife. They have been courting for a long time and called the engagement as a culmination of that long relationship. Prince William admitted to having carried the ring in his rucksack for a long time before having found the right opportunity to propose.

The couple, which plans on having a family eventually, is going to live in north Wales after a wedding in 2011.

Prince Harry, William’s brother, was elated at the news. Speaking through his spokesman, the prince said Kate would be like a sister and he was glad for that.

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