Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographers during a photocall to mark their engagement© Getty

Royal photographer reveals what Prince William and Kate's engagement photocall was really like: 'Just insane'

The Prince and Princess of Wales announced their engagement on 16 November 2010

Content Managing Editor
November 16, 2023

Thirteen years ago, Clarence House announced the engagement of Prince William and his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton

Rumours had been swirling that the future King would pop the question soon, and he did so on a private holiday to Kenya in October 2010, in a moment that Kate called "very romantic".

Unsurprisingly, the photocall that was arranged at St James's Palace on 16 November 2010, where Kate debuted her new diamond sparkler, was "insane", filled with excitement and anticipation. 

Prince William and Kate announce their engagement 13 years ago:

One royal photographer who was there to capture the moment was AFP employee, Ben Stansall, who recalled in an exclusive interview with HELLO!: "It was like being at the biggest movie premiere – just insane."

The full interview with Ben can be found on HELLO! Royal Club – sign up to become a member to read the full feature.

"I started my career in London working for Getty on the entertainment side, so I've been to quite a few movie premieres or BAFTA Awards where you see a lot of flash guns going off from the media," said Ben. 

© Getty

"It was like being at the biggest movie premiere – just insane," said Ben

"But this was just another level. It was incredible. I just remember thinking, 'I've never seen this much light from the cameras before. This is absolutely, absolutely crazy.'

"A lot of people were talking about whether Catherine would be wearing Princess Diana's ring. Then they came in and it was just a constant stream of light and flashes."

© Getty

Kate showed off Princess Diana's engagement ring

Ben has been photographing the royals for over a decade, and while he only sees the Princess of Wales sporadically, he has seen a big change in her since her newlywed days. 

"I think she has grown more confident," Ben said. "Like everybody who has a job – I guess her job is more unique compared to ours – she seems very, very confident, much more so than the early days. But I guess that's just the evolution of any career, isn't it?"

© Getty

The couple secretly got engaged the month before announcing their happy news

To read the full interview with Ben and to hear more about the "organised chaos" of the photocall, sign up to become a member of our new HELLO! Royal Club on Substack – a place where we deliver the best in royal journalism without the adverts. 

As a special offer for our launch, if you upgrade to a paid annual or monthly membership by the end of November, you will receive a discounted price which will last for the lifetime of your membership.

More information can be found here and to subscribe, click here.

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