Why Prince William Reportedly Waited Before Proposing to Kate Middleton

"He wanted to make sure his marriage would last forever."

Back in the early 2000s, Princess Catherine was known by a very different name: Waity Katie. The nickname was rather rudely bestowed upon the then-girlfriend of Prince William because, according to some of the tabloids, she was being made to wait just a little too long for a proposal.

After the pair made their first appearance as a couple in 2004 while still students at the University of St. Andrews, they dated (with one brief break in 2007) for six more years before William popped the question in 2010. This was a long wait by royal standards. King Charles III, then Prince Charles, proposed to William's mother, Princess Diana, after less than a year of dating. Meanwhile, William's brother, Prince Harry, proposed to Meghan Markle after just over a year.

British photographer Arthur Edwards, who has often worked with the royals in the past, claims in a recent piece for The Sun that William actually took his time proposing on purpose. "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," he wrote.

Since tying the knot in 2011, William and Middleton have had three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. Earlier this week, the princess revealed that her course of chemotherapy had finished with a touching video that featured the entire family. "The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family," she explained in the video message. "Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown." At one point in the video, Middleton sits on a log resting her head on William's shoulder as he pats her hand. It's a rare moment of PDA from the royal couple, who tied the knot back in 2011.

According to Edwards, this touching moment seems to be proof that William's tactic of waiting to propose paid off. "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," he wrote.

He added: "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."

According to reports, William offered her his unwavering support throughout Middleton's nine months of treatment. “He’s shouldered a lot of the responsibilities, and, what’s more, he seems to be having fun doing it," a source said to OK!. "Kate has seen the change, and she’s genuinely touched by all that he’s doing, not just for her, but for the children." 

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