He might be the future King, but Prince William went through the same anxieties as most when it came to preparing to pop the question to Princess Kate . The couple started dating as students at St Andrews University , and in November 2010 came the happy news that William had asked his long-term love to marry him. There was great global excitement as the pair sat down with ITV's Tom Bradby to talk about their engagement - and the Prince admitted to one very relatable act as he waited for the perfect moment to get down on one knee.
Speaking about the moment he presented Kate with the ring - which previously belonged to his late mother - William confessed: "I had been carrying it around with me in my rucksack for about three weeks before that and I literally would not let it go, everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it because I knew this thing, if it disappeared I would be in a lot of trouble!" The Prince also said he had put a great deal of thought into the proposal itself. "I'd been planning it for a while but as any guy out there will know it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. I was planning it and then it just felt really right out in Africa .
It was beautiful at the time. I had done a little bit of planning to show my romantic side," he said. "It was a total shock when it came," Kate added.
"There's a true romantic in there." William further explained his decision to propose in Kenya . "It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died," he shared.
"And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee." The couple also spoke about the beautiful 18-carat sapphire ring on Kate's finger. The future Princess of Wales showed off the sparkler, which once belonged to Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana , while William spoke of the sentimental value behind the ring.
"It's my mother's engagement ring so I thought it was quite nice because obviously she's not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all - this was my way of keeping her close to it all." He then added, "I'm not an expert. I've been reliably informed it's a sapphire with some diamonds .
I'm sure everyone recognises it from previous times.".
