Mike Krumboltz
Yahoo! News Blog
Buckle up, royal watchers - this is the moment you've been waiting for. Kate Middleton and Prince William, both 28 years old, are engaged.
The news set off a furious number of Web searches on the bride-to-be. Folks want to know a lot more about the future princess, so here are some quick facts that'll bring you up to speed.
The engagement ring
According to the AP, William gave Kate the engagement ring that belonged to his mother, the late Princess Diana. Web lookups on "kate middleton engagement ring" and "princess diana ring" both surged into breakout status in a matter of minutes.
AFP photo by Ben Stansall
She likes a low profile
The Guardian writes that Kate "will be the first commoner to marry an heir presumptive to the throne in more than 350 years."
Indeed, she comes across as a regular person. Kate's mother was once a flight attendant for British Airways. Her father worked there as a dispatcher. It wasn't until her parents founded a successful business that Kate began running more lofty circles.
Reuters photo by Michael Dunlee
Kate's job
A slew of searches focused on Kate's biography and day job. Until recently, Kate worked as a photographer for her parents' event supply company. The Daily Star reported that Kate recently quit the job, but not before shooting the company's Christmas catalog.
It's safe to say that, when planning a royal wedding that will probably be the biggest wedding since Diana and Prince Charles' nuptials nearly 30 years ago, the napkin rings had better be perfect.
AP photo by Chris Ison
Where did they meet?
Kate and William have been an on-and-off couple for years. The pair met at St. Andrew's University in Fife, Scotland. CNN reports that both were studying art history when they met, but Kate convinced William to change his focus to geography. The lovebirds first went public back in 2004, and Kate has been struggling with the paparazzi ever since. Once upon a time, she used to ride the bus. Clearly those days are over.
Kate's family
Kate's parents aren't royalty. They are self-made millionaires who run an event planning business called Party Pieces. Michael and Carole Middleton say they are "delighted" with the news that their daughter is engaged. Kate's younger sister, Pippa, was huge in searches as well. Online lookups for the 27-year-old spiked from near-nothing into the thousands overnight. Welcome to the family, Pippa. We hope you like attention.
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The queen's thoughts
Reps for Queen Elizabeth II, who is very close to Prince William, have said that both she and Prince Phillip are "absolutely delighted" for the couple. British Prime Minister David Cameron also gave his best wishes to the happy couple.
What's in a name?
Kate (full name: Catherine Elizabeth) will eventually be in line to be England's sixth Queen Catherine, according to the Daily Telegraph, whose entertaining blog post looks at the rest of the royals to share that name. Most famous was Catherine of Aragon, who was married to Henry VIII until he ended the marriage and founded the Church of England.
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