London, Nov. 16: Britain’s Prince William, 28, who is second-in-line to the throne, on Tuesday got engaged to long-time girlfriend, Ms Kate Middleton, 28. The engagement was announced by Prince Charles’ office, Clarence House.
The Prince and Ms Middleton, or Catherine as she was named by the Clarence House, will get married next year and will live in Wales. Prince William proposed to Ms Middleton in Kenya during a holiday in October. The Prince recently became a fully operational search and rescue pilot.
“The wedding will take place in the spring or summer of 2011 in London. Further details will be announced in due course,” the brief statement said.
Prince William, who informed his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and other close members of his family about the engagement, also sought Ms Middleton’s father’s permission to marry her. Ms Middleton is the eldest child of businessman, Mr Michael Middleton and former air hostess, Ms Carol, and her family lives in Berkshire. She has two younger siblings, sister Pippa and brother James.
The British Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron, was the first to congratulate the couple and wished them “great joy.”
Bookmakers, who just last week had predicted a 2011 wedding for the Prince William had to pay out a six-figure sum after the announcement.
“We’re delighted for the couple but we’ve shelled out a fortune. All our shops have been teeming with punters looking to back a November announcement. It’s obvious that people knew more about this than us,” Mr David Williams of Ladbrokes said.