On November 16, 2010, Clarence House announced the engagement of Prince William of Wales to Catherine “Kate” Elizabeth Middleton. What is so fascinating behind this royal engagement is the fact that Miss Middleton is a commoner. William and Kate have already decided the date for their impending nuptials. On November 23, 2010 the couple announced that they would be marrying at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
William and Kate met in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews, where they were both students. In 2003 Middleton attended the Prince’s passing-out parade at Sandhurst. This was the first high profile event that she attended for him, and her attendance marked them as an official couple. The two dated from 2003 onwards, but in April of 2007 they split briefly. Around the time of the split, Kate complained of being harassed by the media due to all the crazy attention she was receiving. However, they reunited that same year. On a trip to Kenya, twenty eight year old Prince William proposed in October to Kate Middleton at Lewa Game Reserve with his mother’s engagement ring. A month later the world officially learned of the engagement by a press interview given by William and Kate.
Kate’s parents Michael Francis Middleton and Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith met when both were working for British Airways. In 1987 they founded Party Pieces, a multimillion-dollar company.
In 829 Egbert of Wessex became the first king of England. Since then the English monarchy has ruled England. The current queen of England is Elizabeth II. She is William’s grandmother. The queen currently is the head of state of 16 independent sovereign states, which are known as the Commonwealth realms, and is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations. She also is the British monarch and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Elizabeth has been ruling since February 6, 1952. The head of the monarch has no real power except for ceremonial ones, with most of the power resting in the Prime Minister and Parliaments hands. William is second in line to the throne, behind his father Prince Charles of Wales. He would take on the ceremonial responsibilities his grandmother now presides over when he inherits the throne.
When royal men marry, it is customary to grant them a dukedom. Kate who will be marrying a royal duke and prince will assume the courtesy title of duchess. She will also be receiving the title of Her Royal Highness, which is a fairly new custom. When William’s parents divorced in 1996, Letter Patent was published on August 21, 1996. They acknowledged that by “convention the wife of the son of a sovereign of these Realms the wife of a son of a son of a Sovereign and the wife of the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales is entitled to the style title or attribute of Royal Highness”. This means that in the case that William did not receive a dukedom or a title, Middleton would still be presented with the title of Her Royal Highness. However if William did receive a title, Kate would become known “”Her Royal Highness the Duchess [or other rank if appropriate] of N“. N represents which dukedom William would receive.
Prince William’s infamous mother Princess Diana of Wales suffered from depression, isolation, and an early death. To ensure that his fiancée does not suffer or have the same fate as his mother, William asked Kate to attend counseling sessions. These sessions are to help her prepare for her life as a royal and also to help her cope with being even more in the spotlight than she is now. Likewise, Kate is receiving royal etiquette lessons and pointers on how to cope with being William’s second priority; his first priority is his country.
Hopefully the two lovebirds will not share the same fate of William’s parents, Princess Diana and Prince Charles. We will just have to wait for more details on their plans for their lavish wedding and have our fingers crossed that the two will have a jolly good time at their wedding and as husband and wife.