To convey the royal family’s important relationship with Kenya, King Charles III candidly spoke about one special moment that took place in the country.
On 31 October, the 74-year-old monarch attended a state banquet in Kenya with Queen Camilla. Until then, King Charles hadn’t travelled to a Commonwealth country since his accession to the throne following Queen Elizabeth’s passing in 2022.
In a poignant speech, King Charles opened up about all the reasons why Kenya is special to his family members, with one specifically tugging at his heart strings.
“It was here, in sight of Mount Kenya, that my son, the Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved daughter-in-law,” he remarked.
Prince William got down on one knee on 20 October 2010, asking Kate Middleton for her hand in marriage. The sweet moment wasn’t spontaneous, however, as the prince had reportedly been planning the proposal for some time. However, his preparations didn’t make the actual act any less nerve-wrecking.
The two had been dating for eight years prior to their engagement, meeting for the first time at the University of St Andrews in Scotland back in 2001. Neither William nor the Princess of Wales disclosed the news of their impending nuptials until their first joint interview on 16 November 2010.
Kate admitted the whole thing was a “total shock” to her. Meanwhile, William confessed: “As every guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. So I was planning it, and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful.”
Ten years later, William went into depth about why exactly he proposed in Africa. “The African continent holds a very special place in my heart,” he said during a reception at Buckingham Palace. “It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. 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 royal pair hosted their nuptials at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. Kate donned a white gown with lace long sleeves running from her wrists all the way up to her shoulder and across her chest. The dress, designed by Sarah Burton, former creative director for Alexander McQueen, meshed traditional tones with form-flattering details.
Kate and William now share Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
Kate recently made her first public appearance in over two weeks, after all three of her children had a half-term vacation off from school, at a meeting for the “Dadvengers.” The community is a collective of individuals from Arnos Grove, London focused on highlighting the importance of a father’s role in their children’s lives.
