Marry in 2011:Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged

* Couple became engaged in Kenya last month

* William asked her father for her hand

* The Royal wedding will be in spring or summer

* Kate Middleton and William will live in north Wales once married

* Pair's first ever interview to be broadcast tonight

* William is 'excited and thrilled', says Cameron

Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged and will marry next year, Clarence House announced today.

William proposed during a holiday in Kenya last month after asking Kate's father for his daughter's hand.

The couple, who are both 28, have been together for a marathon eight years. Kate had been dubbed 'Waity Katy' amid criticism she was hanging on for a proposal but now her wait is finally over.

They will appear in public for photographs later today, when the Princess-in-waiting is expected to show off her engagement ring and the first ever interview with the pair is being broadcast tonight.

David Cameron said William is 'extremely excited' and 'thrilled' as he appeared outside No10 to welcome the news.

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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

Their wedding will be the biggest royal event since the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981.

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* Is this the new People's Princess? How confident Kate Middleton compares to 'Shy Di'

* The Royal romance that captivated a nation: How Wills and Kate kept us guessing for eight long years

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.

'Following the marriage, the couple will live in North Wales, where Prince William will continue to serve with the Royal Air Force.'

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are absolutely delighted for them both.'

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

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

William and Kate at a Six Nations rugby match in 2007

At ease: William and Kate at a Six Nations rugby match in 2007

It is claimed personnel at Westminster Abbey have been contacted about arranging a royal wedding in the second week of August.

David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband both said they were 'delighted' for the couple.

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 told during the Cabinet meeting, he said: 'There was a great cheer that went up and a banging on the table. This is a great moment of national celebration but this is two young people who love each other who have made this decision and we must give them space.'

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.'

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed Kate Middleton's parents were guests at a private shooting party on the Queen's Scottish estate.

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 the Royal Family were keen to start off on the right foot as Kate moves to becoming a princess.

William and Kate after a party at Mahiki

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

The Prince and Kate at a rugby sevens event

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

She 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.

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.'

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 - although officially Kate was still living at her parents.

There was a significant change last month when they were seen together in public at a friend's wedding.

They notably walked in to the ceremony in Gloucestershire on October 23 together, with Kate beaming.

Usually, they always arrived at events separately to avoid being pictured together.

The last time Kate was seen was in July and it is thought she had been kept in the background ahead of the engagement announcement.

(source:dailymail.co.uk)

Royal romance that captivated a nation: How Wills and Kate kept us guessing for eight long years

Romance that has kept the nation captivated. The Royal family's golden boy, Prince William, appeared to have found his perfect girl-next-door in the form of university friend Kate Middleton.

Almost since the moment they first stepped out together, back in 2003, we have been anticipating an engagement announcement. Eight years later, that day has arrived.

It has been a very long time coming. Miss Middleton, who is so frequently seen on William's arm at the weddings of his friends, was even nicknamed 'Waity Katie' amid criticism that she had been hanging on for a proposal.

Only earlier this year, in February, William said: 'You'll have to wait a while yet,' when asked by a member of the public about the prospect of a royal wedding.

Engaged: Kate Middleton with Prince William at the wedding of Harry Meade last month. The pair are to marry next summer

Engaged: Kate Middleton and Prince William at a wedding last month. The pair are to marry next summer

But the rumour mill went into overdrive earlier this month, when Miss Middleton's parents were spotted enjoying a shooting weekend at Birkhall, Prince Charles’s private residence on the Balmoral estate - a clear sign that the middle-class family had been accepted into the Royal fold.

And last week Royal aides would not rule out the prospect of an invitation for Miss Middleton to spend Christmas Day on the Sandringham estate for the first time - though this now looks less likely given that William has volunteered to work at RAF Valley in Anglesey on Christmas Day.

But it has been a far from easy ride for the 28-year-old bride-to-be, whose family, career and even fashion sense have come under criticism over the past decade.

Her lack of blue blood has been a source of criticism, even though the Countess of Wessex and Sarah Ferguson both hail from a middle-class background.

Just good friends? Prince William with Miss Middleton at a rugby match in 2004

No longer just good friends: Prince William and Miss Middleton together at a rugby match in 2004

Her mother, Carole, was highly criticised for chewing what turned out to be nicotine gum at William's Sandhurst passing-out parade. And Mrs Middleton's former career as an airline stewardess earned her the sniffy nickname 'Doors To Manual'.

The media attention focused on the couple was so intense, that the pair even split, briefly, in April 2007, not long after Miss Middleton made an complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over alleged harassment.

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It was not to last long though. Just two months later the couple were seen kissing and dancing together at an Army party, and by May the following year, it seemed that the relationship was back on track when Kate attended the wedding of William's cousin, Peter Phillips, to Autumn Kelly, on her own, while her beau attended another wedding in Africa.

The couple's long courtship began with a friendship back in 2001, when they met at St Andrews University.

Miss Middleton in a St Andrews University charity fashion show

Model behaviour: Miss Middleton modelling for the Really Wild clothing company

Model behaviour: Miss Middleton in a St Andrews University charity fashion show in 2002, where she caught the eye of the young Prince, and modelling for the Really Wild clothing company three years later

Miss Middleton had her first taste of the limelight during their first year, when William was spotted in the audience as she modelled in a charity fashion show.

The Prince paid £200 to watch fellow students take to the runway, but Miss Middleton, in a sheer black lace dress over a black bra and bikini bottoms, stole the show.

This is a relationship that has its foundations in friendship though, and though they lived together in their second year, they did not start dating straight away. Miss Middleton dated fellow student Rupert Finch, while William was linked with close friend Jecca Craig.

Public romance: The pair kiss on the slopes during a skiing holiday in Klosters, Switzerland

Public romance: The pair kiss on the slopes during a skiing holiday in Klosters, Switzerland

Back together, April 2008: The couple's reunion appears permanent, following a brief split in 2007

Back together, April 2008: The couple's reunion appears permanent, following a brief split in 2007

It is not known exactly when William and Kate became an item but it is rumoured to be around Christmas 2003. Their romance was finally exposed after they were pictured on the ski slopes of Klosters together in March 2004.

William's statement on the same holiday was perhaps an indication of the wait Miss Middleton had coming. He said: 'I don't want to get married until I'm at least 28, or maybe 30.'

The following year, William was still noncommittal about the relationship, and Miss Middleton was a noticeable absence at his father's wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles.

Just three months later, however, she is on his arm at the wedding of William's close friend Hugh van Cutsem - the first of many the pair will attend together.

Shortly after, their families met for the first time their graduation ceremony. Now that their studies were over, it would be the first of many occasions that would spark rumours of an engagement.

Instead they would enjoy a string of lavish holidays, taking in the Lewa Downs game reserve in Kenya, and another skiing trip to Klosters, where they were pictured kissing for the first time, before William began his Army training at Sandhurst.

(sourcedailymail.co.uk)

Facts about Kate Middleton

Britain's Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton are to get married next year, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

Here are a few facts about Middleton.

* The eldest of three children, Catherine Middleton was born on January 9, 1982, into a middle-class, rather than aristocratic, family from Berkshire, west of London.

* Her father Michael worked as a pilot and her mother Carole as an airline stewardess before setting up a mail order business selling party supplies.

* She met Prince William at St Andrews University in Scotland in 2001, where she read history of art. The pair lived together in a house shared with friends.

* They split up in 2007 after William was posted around the country as part of his military training, according to media reports. Since getting back together later that year, there has been persistent talk about a possible engagement.

* Critics in the tabloid press nicknamed Middleton "Waity Katie" after a marriage date failed to materialize and accused her of doing little with her life beyond waiting for William to pop the question.

* Middleton's lawyers complained to Britain's press watchdog in 2007 after photographers and TV film crews mobbed her outside her London flat, drawing comparisons with the media's obsession with William's mother, the late Princess Diana -- who died in a Paris car accident while being pursued by paparazzi.

(source:reuters.com)

Royal Wedding:The Kate Middleton story

Kate Middleton has been the subject of intense press attention ever since she began dating Prince William, whom she met at St Andrews University in 2001.

Unlike her royal fiance, whose every move since birth has been obsessively tracked in the tabloids, life in the media spotlight has proved a new and unsettling experience for 28-year-old Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, born into a comparatively ordinary middle-class family from Bucklebury, in Berkshire.

But with the help of powerful friends in the royal family Kate Middleton has fought back, sometimes successfully, to maintain a modicum of personal privacy.

Her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, run a mail-order business selling toys and games for children's parties from a converted barn close to their home.

'Popular and talented'

The eldest of three children, she was educated at the exclusive Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she was described as level-headed, popular and talented.

Her former classmate Charlie Leslie said: "Kate is an absolutely phenomenal girl - really popular, talented, creative and sporty.

"She was captain of the school hockey team and played in the first pair at tennis."

A college master said: "I don't think you'd find anyone in Marlborough with a bad word to say about her.

"She excelled in all her subjects and was an A-grade pupil across the board."

Her sister, Pippa, 25, is a party planner who was voted No 1 in Tatler magazine's 2008 poll of the "200 coolest kids in town".

Her brother, James, 21, has launched a baking company.

Royal romance

Kate met Prince William when studying art history at St Andrews, in Fife, where they shared accommodation for four years.

She is credited with persuading him not to leave when he had a "wobble" at the end of his first year.

Kate Middleton at wedding of Laura Parker Bowles and Harry Lopes

Speculation about an engagement was perhaps inevitable

The prince attended a charity fashion show in which Kate modelled in her underwear in March 2002.

Their relationship apparently flourished during weekends alone on the Queen's Balmoral estate.

For a while, at least, William and Kate were guaranteed some privacy, following an agreement worked out between the palace and press while he was a student.

But the media silence did not last, and Kate was first brought to the public's attention after several tabloids pictured her beside Prince William and Prince Charles at the Swiss ski resort of Klosters in 2005.

The photographs appeared despite efforts by aides to keep the holiday private.

Newspaper interest grew when Kate graduated and moved to London.

In October 2005, after the publication of a photo showing Kate looking out of a window on a London bus, her lawyers wrote to newspaper and magazine editors asking them to respect her privacy.

They claimed photographers had followed her almost every day and night since she left university.

Speculation of an engagement was sparked in February 2006, when it was suggested she would receive her own royal security, which would only be available following an engagement.

The rumours were taken seriously enough for one high street chain - the now-defunct retail giant Woolworths - to put souvenirs into production to mark an anticipated announcement.

In December 2006, Kate was again in the headlines after she and her mother attended a ceremony at Sandhurst, to watch Prince William being commissioned as an officer in the British army.

The occasion was notable as the first time she had been seen at a high-profile public event attended by the Queen and other senior royals.

Media scrum

Rumours of an engagement reached a peak around the time of Kate's 25th birthday in January 2007, when the media scrum took up residence outside her Chelsea home.

The paparazzi free-for-all drew inevitable comparisons with the prince's late mother, killed in a car crash in Paris whilst being pursued by photographers.

Prince William and Kate Middleton

The prince is to train to become an RAF search and rescue pilot

Prince William and Prince Charles appealed for her to be left alone, and some newspapers agreed to stop using paparazzi shots of her.

In March, Kate's lawyers made an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over a photo published in the Daily Mirror.

It showed her clutching a takeaway coffee cup and car keys as she headed to work. The Mirror issued a public apology and the complaint was withdrawn.

Media pressure appeared to take its toll and was blamed when the couple split in April 2007, although no official statement was issued by either.

At the time, Kate was working as an accessories buyer for high street fashion chain Jigsaw, in Kew, a role she left in November 2007.

Following the break-up, negative stories about the Middleton family appeared in the press.

These included allegations Kate's mother had chewed gum at William's passing-out parade and had used the words "toilet" and "pardon" in front of the Queen.

There were also reports some of William's friends would whisper "doors to manual" when Kate entered the room, in reference to her mother's past career as an air hostess.

Reports of a reconciliation were denied in June 2007, with the couple insisting they were "just good friends" after being spotted together at the Concert for Diana at Wembley.

They were then seen in public on a number of occasions.

Kate even attended two royal weddings without William in 2008.

Low profile

Kate was present when the prince received his RAF wings from his father at RAF Cranwell in April 2008 and in Windsor when he became a Knight of the Garter in June.

But aside from such official engagements, it seems she has been keeping a lower profile recently and has appeared less in papers and magazines.

Since resigning from Jigsaw, she has been working for her parents' firm and is pictured on its website.

She had been dubbed "waity Katie" by critics in the press who say she appeared to spend her time shopping and socialising while waiting for a proposal. That waiting is now over. 

(source:bbc.co.uk