Princess Kate is the epitomy of elegance and composure. If she’s not gracefully walking along in terrifyingly high heels she’s braving a pastel coloured coat in the rain, but there is one time she lost her cool.
When delivering the news of her engagement to Prince William to her mum Carole Middleton, she was left with an awkward dilemma. The issue arose as Prince William had failed to ask Kate’s father, Michael Middleton, for her hand prior to the proposal, overcome with nerves.
It was on a trip to Kenya in 2010 when Prince William finally popped the question after more than eight years together, proposing with a stunning sapphire ring worn by Princess Diana. Only after this trip did William consult the Middleton parents, having feared the worst.
This left Kate in what she described as ‘an awkward situation’ upon her return to England, wanting to give the good news to her mother but unsure as to whether she already knew.
Speaking in their engagement interview with Tom Bradby in 2010, she said: “We had quite an awkward situation because I knew, and I knew that William had asked my father, but I didn’t know if my mother knew so I came back from Scotland and my mother didn’t make it clear to me whether she knew or not.
“So both of us were there, sort of looking at each other and feeling quite awkward about it.” Laughing, the Princess clarified: “But it was amazing to tell her and obviously she was very happy for us.”
Prince William was happy to joke about his own hesitation, saying: “I was torn between asking Kate’s dad first and then the realisation that he might actually say ‘no’ dawned upon me.”
He went on: “So I thought if I ask Kate first then he can’t really say no. So I did it that way round.
“I managed to speak to Mike soon after it happened really and then it sort of happened from there.”
Since their marriage at Westminster Abbey in 2011, the couple have brought three children into the family: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
