Exclusive
KATE'S WAIT
I know the real reason Prince William and Kate Middleton took so long to get married, reveals Sun legend Arthur Edwards
Watch our Royal Exclusive show to see Arthur Edwards lifting the lid on royal life
WHEN Prince William popped the question to long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton in 2010, it came over nine years after they first met at university.
Now, legendary royal photographer Arthur Edwards has revealed the reason why it took the now Prince of Wales so long to propose.
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The university sweethearts officially announced their engagement in October 2010 and they tied the knot in a fairytale ceremony in 2011.
This was after they first went public with their relationship in 2004, following their meeting at St Andrews in 2001.
Although William was 28 and Kate was 29 when they made their marriage official, Arthur shared the reason why the royal prince had waited such a long time to tie the knot.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, Arthur said: “I once asked William why he's not getting married till he was 30.
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“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.
“He said, ‘then I've got to go to business school, and there's just no time before that.”
Previously Arthur shared how William wanted to make sure that his relationship with Kate was going to stand the test of time.
The royal photographer revealed: “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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Speaking of their intimate family video released to announce that the Princess of Wales has now finished chemotherapy, Arthur said: “Watching Kate snuggle into her husband’s shoulder as they sat on a pile of logs in the pine woods at Holkham beach, in Norfolk, says to me that they are still very much in love.
“Maybe even more so now than in 2011 when I photographed them kissing — twice — on the Buckingham Palace balcony after their wedding.
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“And I am sure following the toughest few months of their 13-year marriage it will last forever.
“Because they have survived the dark days — and they have a bright future to look forward to.”
Jokes about wait
In 2020 Kate visited the Evelina London Children's hospital where she "bonded" with a mum over how long it took her husband to propose.
During their discussion, mum Sarah Ibendahl told the Duchess it had taken her husband Ralph almost nine years to propose.
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Recalling her chat with Kate, Sarah - whose son Benjamin was being treated on the ward for an auto-immune condition - said: "We bonded over the fact it took our husbands like nine years before they asked us to marry them.
"When I mentioned it, she laughed politely and gave me a knowing smile."
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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
Arthur Edwards
Six years into their relationship, the pair briefly split up - but fortunately, this only lasted a matter of months and Kate later admitted the time apart made her a "stronger person".
They now have three children together, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.
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Inside Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship - in their words
AFTER years of dating, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement on November 16, 2010.
Prince William revealed in their interview with BBC that he knew from the start that Kate was different from other people.
He said in their engagement interview: "From my point of view, when I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her.”
When asked what drew them together, it turns out her “naughty sense of humour” was the tipping point.
He said: “She’s got a really naughty sense of humour, which really helps me because I’ve got a really dirty sense of humour so it was good fun, we had a really good laugh, and then things happened.”
And it appears that Prince William is a very caring partner towards Kate. Swoon.
She previously told Hello! how much of a gentleman William is, and said: "You know, over the years William has looked after me, he's treated me very well — as the loving boyfriend he is, he is very supportive of me through the good times and also through the bad times.”
In April 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched around the world by millions of fans.
Kate wore a spectacular Alexander McQueen dress and the smitten prince could be seen telling Kate: “You look beautiful” before the service began.
They may have an unconventional life, but when it comes to their relationship, it all boils down to having fun.
Prince William added: “Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humour about things, we're down to earth, we take the mickey out of each other a lot, and she's got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about."
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