The Prince of Wales carried the engagement ring in his rucksack for several weeks before proposing in November 2010.

Royal expert Robert Hardman commented on royal engagements: "When a royal couple tells us they're engaged, we're fascinated by every detail, from the design of the wedding dress to who will be the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and where the ceremony will take place. People love to spend the day at street parties and things like that, so there's a lot of interest right from the start," according to Mirror UK.

The couple's engagement story began during a romantic trip to Kenya, as William shared in an interview with ITV's Tom Bradby. “It was where my father took my brother and I right after our mother died,” William noted. “And when I was deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I couldn’t think of a better place than Kenya to get down on one knee and propose to her.”

“I knew if I lost it, I would be in big trouble,” he joked. The engagement ring, which features a stunning Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds, has special significance as it originally belonged to William’s late mother, Princess Diana. The couple’s official engagement photo, taken by renowned photographer Mario Testino at St James’s Palace, beautifully captured this iconic moment in royal history.

The palace has credited Kate and William as a “young, glamorous, dynamic couple” who have the potential to modernise and lead the monarchy into the future.

Royal author Katie Nicholl told the Mirror UK at the time, “There are two roles for a future Queen. One is to produce an heir, which she has fulfilled, and the other is to learn how to one day be Queen, and that is exactly what we are seeing.”

“We are seeing a new Queen ascending the throne… She is receiving more patronage, from both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.”

“All of these aspects have been carefully considered; this is part of the palace’s strategy to move her from the shadows of Anmer into the limelight,” she commented.