Prince William’s kept promise to Princess Diana through Kate’s engagement ring

Prince William’s proposal to Kate Middleton remains one of the most romantic royal moments of the modern era, but the sapphire engagement ring he chose carried a deeply heartbreaking meaning.

The couple announced their engagement in November 2010, five months before their April 2011 wedding, but William’s ring choice echoed a far more emotional family story.

The future king proposed during a private, intimate trip to Kenya in October 2010.

The pair had met years earlier as students at the University of St Andrews, and although Kate described the proposal as “very romantic”, she admitted that it came as a “total shock”.

During their engagement interview, William revealed he selected the iconic blue sapphire once worn by his mother, Princess Diana, for a deeply personal reason.

Standing beside Kate at St James’s Palace, he said: “Well, of course, you will recognise this as my mother’s engagement ring. It’s my way of making sure my mother didn’t miss out on today.”

The couple also admitted they had spent the previous year discussing marriage, but the exact moment of the proposal, at a secluded lodge on Lake Rutundu, remained private and serene.

According to reports, the ring itself was slightly too large for Catherine and needed to be resized after the engagement.

At the remote Kenyan lodge, William got down on one knee on the veranda, with the mountain air and candlelit setting creating a breathtakingly intimate backdrop.

The Mirror reported that the princess left a handwritten note in the guestbook that read: “Thank you for such a wonderful 24 hours. Sadly no fish to be found but we had fun trying. I love the warm fires and candlelights - so romantic. Hope to be back soon, Catherine Middleton.”

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