Prince William, Kate Middleton Engaged

Prince William, heir apparent to the throne of England, has officially become engaged to his girlfriend Kate Middleton. To seal the deal, the young Prince presented her with a formidable gift – his late mother Princess Diana‘s blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring, presented to her by his father Prince Charles in 1981. The Guardian reports:

Prince William said the ring “was very special to me” as was his bride-to-be. Giving it to her was “my way of making sure my mother didn’t miss out on today” and the excitement that the couple were going spend their lives together.

The long-expected news that the second in line to the throne was to marry his long-term girlfriend was announced by Clarence House earlier in the day .

The prince asked Middleton to marry him during a private holiday in Kenya last month and has, the royal press office stressed, asked her father’s permission.

Middleton said, during a brief press conference and photocall at St James’s Palace, London, that the prince had been “a true romantic”, was “a loving boyfriend” and “very supportive of me in good times and also through the bad times”.

Prince William said of their engagement: “The timing is right now, we are both very, very happy. We both have a very good sense of humour and we take the mickey out of each other a lot.”

Prince William’s sun in sensitive Cancer is counterbalanced by Middleton’s practical, grounded Capricorn. For a full astrological report, check out Cortney Litwin’s detailed spread on the pair.

What do you think – do William and Kate have what it takes to be a lasting pair, and overcome the hurdles that William’s parents faced?