Key Takeaways
-
Before he proposed to Kate Middleton in November 2010, Prince William had to overcome his fear of commitment, a royal expert recently revealed.
-
His uneasiness about marriage was something he reportedly inherited from his father, King Charles.
-
However, ultimately, in 2007, William and Kate “made a pact” that they would eventually take the next step in their relationship.
When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in November of 2010, the announcement wasn’t seen as a surprise to the British public. The couple, who first met as students at the University of St. Andrews in 2001, dated for almost nine years before deciding to take the next step in their relationship. Even though they briefly split in 2007, the duo quickly reunited, confirming the seriousness of their dynamic. However, in her book, The Making of a Royal Romance: William, Kate, and Harry—A Look Behind the Palace Walls, Katie Nicholl, a royal expert, revealed that the prince’s fear of commitment was one of the underlying reasons why it took so long for him to pop the question.
In August of 2007, the duo rekindled their romance after their split. To reconnect, they took a trip to Desroches, an island in the Seychelles. “With a population of just 50 and 3 miles long, the paradise island was the perfect escape,” Nicholl wrote, according to Marie Claire. “[B]oth of them knew that at some point they had to discuss the future.” However, even though the pair understood that they needed to do just that, Nicholl reported that such a conversation was a difficult one for the prince. “For a young man who has an inherent fear of tomorrow, this was not easy for William, but the tranquil backdrop of the island was as good place as any to discuss it,” she wrote.
CARL DE SOUZA / Staff / Getty Images
Ultimately, on the island vacation, William assured Kate that she “was the one,” Nicholl wrote. “William, who had inherited something of his father’s fear of commitment, knew he would lose Kate if he could not give her some form of guarantee.” While the prince didn’t officially ask for Kate’s hand in marriage during this getaway, Nicholl reported that the two made a pact that they would eventually take the next step in their relationship. “William told Kate…he was not ready to get married,” a source told Nicholl. “He promised her his commitment and said he would not let her down, and in turn she agreed to wait for him.”
The plan proved to be a successful one: Three years later, William proposed to Kate with Princess Diana’s blue sapphire engagement ring while the two were vacationing in Kenya. They announced the news to the public later that same month. And on April 29, 2011, the two officially became husband and wife, saying “I do” in front of 1,900 guests at Westminster Abbey. Following their ceremony, the newlyweds continued the beloved tradition of a post-nuptial balcony kiss at Buckingham Palace, publicly displaying their love for each other.
Read the original article on Brides