The Duke of Cambridge revealed a very sweet detail about his proposal to then-girlfriend Kate Middleton in 2010, during a speech at Buckingham Palace. Prince William and Kate hosted a reception on behalf of the Queen, for world leaders to mark the UK-Africa Investment Summit on Monday evening.
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WATCH: William and Kate attend a reception for the UK-Africa Investment Summit
William gave a very personal speech in which he spoke about why the African continent holds a special place in his heart. He said: "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."
When the couple gave their first interview after their engagement in 2010, they were very coy about the details of the proposal and the Prince did not actually reveal whether he had got down on one knee as he popped the question. William told interviewer Tom Bradby: "We had been talking about marriage for a while so it wasn't a massively big surprise. I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya and I proposed." Kate added: "It was very romantic. There's a true romantic in there."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesWilliam and Kate during their engagement photocall in 2010
The couple had signed a guestbook at Rutundu Cabin at the foot of Mount Kenya around that time, which suggests it was the magical place where their engagement happened. William proposed to his long-term girlfriend with his mother Princess Diana's sapphire and diamond ring.
William and Kate were joined by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, as well as the Princess Royal at the evening reception on Monday. The Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning in a red sequin gown by Needle & Thread, and matched Sophie in her scarlet Alaia dress.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSophie and Kate at the reception
William also hinted that he and Kate would like to see more of Africa in future, saying: "And as Catherine and I have said to several of you here tonight, we hope to have the chance to visit many more countries in the future and share our mutual love of your continent with our children."
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