Why Prince William Waited So Long for Kate Middleton Proposal

Kate Middleton wears a blue dress and has long curly hair as Prince William looks at her announcing their engagement

(Image credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

published 26 November 2024

Prince William and Princess Kate's relationship has been undeniably romantic. After meeting at the University of St Andrews in 2001, the pair quietly started dating. Following a very public breakup in 2007, William and Kate reunited, and would finally announce their engagement in 2010. Now, a royal expert is dishing on why Prince William didn't propose to Kate Middleton sooner.

During an interview with The Sun's "Royal Exclusive" show, royal photographer Arthur Edwards opened up about Prince William's alleged apprehension when it came to getting married.

"I once asked William why he's not getting married till he was 30," Edwards told the outlet. "He said, 'Because I have to go to the Army, because one day I'll be Head of the Forces. I'll have to go in the Army, after going to the Navy, I have to go in the Air Force and the Marines." And according to Edwards, William's ambitions didn't end there: "He said, 'Then I've got to go to business school, and there's just no time before that.'"

Kate Middleton wears a royal blue dress and a big black hat and black blazer to attend a wedding with Prince William — Princess Kate and Prince William in October 2010.

It would seem as though Prince William compromised on his timeline; he was 28 years old when he tied the knot with a 29-year-old Kate.

However, the Prince of Wales did achieve most of his ambitions. After graduating from St Andrews in 2005, William trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. As well as becoming a lieutenant in the British Army, he spent time training with the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Marines, per Forces News. He then trained as a search and rescue pilot, and spent time as an air ambulance pilot.

Even though William didn't attend business school, it's clear that he wanted to achieve certain career milestones before starting a family.

Prince William and Kate Middleton wearing green jackets and brown boots walking on a gravel path outside

Earlier this year, Edwards revealed that Prince William wanted his marriage to Kate to "last forever." As a result, the young Prince reportedly wasn't in a rush to tie the knot.

Writing for The Sun, Edwards explained, "Once William told me the reason he and Kate took their time getting engaged was because he wanted to make sure his marriage would last forever."

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Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.