On November 16, 2010, news broke that Prince William was to, finally, wed his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, after being together since their time at the University of St. Andrews.
The couple met the press for a photocall in Buckingham Palace where Kate showed off her familiar diamond and sapphire engagement ring - the one that had belonged to William's late mother, Princess Diana, and was made by Garrard.
During the interview, while speaking of the ring, Kate said, "It's beautiful. I just hope I look after it. It's very, very special." William also explained why he proposed with this ring, "It is very special to me. It was my mother's engagement ring. It was my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement, and the fact that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together."
Kate perfectly matched her dress to the 18-carat ring wearing a royal blue Issa wrap dress that had a v-neck, long sleeves and was of mid-length. She also wore a dainty gold necklace with a matching stone and a similar pair of earrings by Tiffany & Co. The dress by Issa was an instant hit and sold out soon after and began what is known as the "Kate effect" in fashion. Since then, copycats have been made, which also were very popular. Issa even worked with the Banana Republic for a temporary line which included a very similar dress to the one Kate wore on the day her engagement was announced. This one, however, was only three-quarter sleeves.
Our co-editor, Jessica, has written a post about Kate's dress and where you can find her look for less. Read it here. Be sure to check out all of her posts about where you can dress like your favorite royal ladies for less!
The interview after the press conference was conducted by Tom Bradby for ITV.
It was the first time, for many, to hear Kate speak and get a good look at their future queen. The interview covered the engagement in Kenya, their breakup in 2007, and how they met. About the short breakup Kate admitted, "At the time, I wasn’t very happy about it. But actually, it made me a stronger person. You find things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. I really valued that time for me.” They also spoke about meeting at university and becoming friends first before their love blossomed.
Kate also spoke about entering the Royal Family and Diana calling her inspirational and saying, "I'd have loved to have met her." When it came to her charity work, then 28-year-old Kate said, “I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way,”
The couple went on to marry on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey; they were given the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They now have two children and are expecting their third. Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2, will be joined by a brother or sister sometime early next year. The expected month of the birth has not yet been announced as the Duchess has not passed the first trimester. She was forced to announce her third pregnancy earlier than most mothers like due to suffering from acute morning sickness which plagued her first two pregnancies.