There I was sitting on the couch on Monday night, mindlessly scrolling through my phone when BAM! There came some deeply pleasing news…a Royal engagement…and better than that….a ROYAL WEDDING IS ON THE WAY.
High five GIRLFRIEND. Yeah you did!
I immediately went into overdrive as your unofficial Royal Correspondent…the pressure to quickly get the best shot from Insta, break the story, get the details and REPORT. I was in a frenzy my friends, a joyous frenzy! Even thought about taking my phone into my room overnight and setting an alarm to watch the official shoot at Kensington Palace in the sunken garden but decided against it, let the professionals break that one because you know: sleep. I have a toddler.
The next morning I woke with a little spring in my step and gushed the news to the girls when they woke up (they were unimpressed) and as Daisy said over dinner again last night (when I bought it up AGAIN) “only 40 year old women are interested in this Mum” I still did not let this dampen my spirits for not only is Season 2 of The Crown starting next week, there’s going to be a Royal wedding in the Spring and isn’t that all anyone of us could wish for? The answer is YES, don’t listen to Daisy.
Got me thinking about my own engagement story…if anyone is interested here that is:
I planned a cheeky weekend escape with my fabulous new boyfriend when we were THICK in the “new love” phase. It was late February and that feeling of catching the last magical bit of summer was in the air. We had been going out for just 4 months and we were all. Over. Each. Other. And besotted, and in love, and quite frankly, sickening to anyone other than ourselves. I got a last minute rate on a fancy hotel up in the Northern Beaches so we packed the car with not much (what do you need when you are in love?!) plenty of champagne and off we went like those annoying couples I see now as a married mother of three heading off on weekend ‘mini breaks’.
We polished off one bottle of French Champagne and were onto our second when we headed out onto the verandah to watch the late afternoon light slip away. There was a wedding going on and which we watched from afar and we talked of our life together and all we had planned for our future (like you do when you are newly in love and a little drunk). A quick trip inside to refill our drinks saw me blurt out “Well, why don’t we just do it?” After some clarification from him that I didn’t mean that we could have sex (again – oh those were the days!) and that I actually meant “Let’s get married” we kind of stopped. And thought seriously. And then, before I knew what I was actually doing and sober enough to know any better, I got down on one knee and asked properly (because it was an actual leap year and I was allowed to ask for a mans hand in marriage you see) “Well, we know we want to be together, so what are we waiting for? Let’s get married!”. The next thing I know, he is saying YES. And what do you know? WE WERE ENGAGED. Just like that.
We sat and giggled and kissed and hugged and giggled again and then of course filled up our champagne because now we had a valid excuse to celebrate! We knew that as soon as we called either set of parents that it would be “official” and after we finally got the guts to make the calls, him: “Hey Mum, remember I was telling you I was seeing this girl? Well, we’re getting married!” and me: “Hi Mum, sure I know I just called off a long term relationship of 8 years AND a wedding, BUT! I’m getting married! No, I haven’t gone mad!” we sat back and toasted our future.
Hours later I remember waking from the champagne haze, head pounding, mouth dry and stomach churning full of butterflies and nerves and excitement. What had we done?! I looked at my sleeping man and knew, just knew as much as I knew when I was doing the wrong thing getting married to my ex, I just knew it right thing to do. It was what we were meant to do. It was all going to be OK.
There’s NOTHING like an engagement is there? I remember when we were engaged I was surprised at just how good and different it felt, like the start of something much more. It felt important or something? And don’t get me started on how you can flaunt that ring about like it’s nobodies business. I wrote about that in this post here. And hopefully soon enough there will be a whole new barrage of engagements from our same sex friends here in Australia at last who will be able to flick that hair with the ring showing just so.
Also got thinking about all the wonderful Royal engagements of the past. Shall we have a look at some of them? Thought you would never ask!
Queen Elizabeth & Phillip were engaged secretly in 1946 but the King only gave permission once she turned 21 which was the following April. Lillibet had been in LOVE with him since she was just 13 they say, and they officially became engaged on the 9th July 1947. I for one cannot WAIT for Season 2 of the Crown to start to get some more background into their early relationship and kids and stuff.
How about Diana and Charles?
They had been seeing each other properly for 6 months when he proposed to her at Windsor Castle on the 3rd February 1981. The engagement became official a few weeks later and was announced on the 24th February 1981 after she had chosen a stunning 12 carat sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds. They were married in July that year – not long was it?
As for their wedding? Well Mum cooked us Steak Diane and the telly got moved into a special room so we could all sit around and watch it. I was just about to turn 4 and I remember it (well the Steak Diane mostly).
I remember when Sarah & Andrew were engaged and lots of details of their wedding too (not to mention their initials embroided in the train do you remember that?!)
Andrew proposed to Sarah on his 26th birthday in February 1986 and was publicly announced 17th March 1986. They were married just 4 months later on the 23rd July 1986. See? They don’t muck around. Royals can organise a wedding like *that*.
How could we forget Wills and Kate? We could not!
Engaged in Kenya in October 2010 the engagement was announced on the 16th November 2010 by Clarence House (just like Hazza). Kate was given Diana’s ring and just a week later the wedding date was set for April 2011. I think we can expect a wedding date for Harry in the next few weeks!
So many wedding parties were shared over their wedding – we had one here with lots of friends. Can we take a moment to take in little Princess Daisy? AND SHE SAYS SHE DOESN’T CARE!
So now we have these guys to remind us of good things…like love and wedding dresses and bouquets and stuff like that!
NUDE PUMPS. Kind of. And if you didn’t get a chance to see their wedding interview, you can watch the full video (20 mins) online here:
So tell me EVERYTHING about your engagement!
Share a snap of your ring on FB if you can!
Did this news make you smile too? You must be a woman who is 40!
Waiting impatiently for the second series of The Crown here too !!
I met my future husband in the local bank where I would go in and complain about fees applied to my account . He liked me but bank protocol meant he couldn’t say anything , I liked him but assumed he was so gorgeous he’d already be taken . His colleagues got fed up of him going on about me and not doing anything about it so one Friday one of them asked for my phone number . He rang that night and we arranged to go out the next day ( Sat) but only for 1/2 in a local cafe as I had a babysitting job .
We met , hit it off , both wanted to the same things in life and arranged to meet up the next day ( Sun) .
I get picked up by him in a taxi Sunday morning and he whisks me off to Westminster Abbey “ to look at the Christmas tree “ Can’t get in to see the tree so suddenly he is kneeling on the steps of the Abbey and asking me to marry him !!! He had been out and already bought a ring that morning.
We got married 4 months later on my 22nd Birthday . 5 children and nearly 19yrs later we are still very much in love but maybe that’s helped by the fact he lives and works away from home ?
What a great story! Thanks for sharing!
I always surprise myself, & everyone who knows me, how much I love the royals. So bloody happy about the engagement & can not wait for The Crown to come back!
As for my engagement, I was a few months passed 21, we had a 3 month old baby & we walking trough some waterfalls when Tim said “ what would you say if I asked you to marry me?” To which I replied “ do you have a ring?” He didn’t. He wanted me to design my own, which I did & it’s still my favourite piece of jewellery. We told everyone that weekend because even though I never actually said yes of course I was going to marry the guy I had loved since I was 16 & were married 4 months later. Celebrated 17 years on Saturday.
Beautiful! You guys seem like a great couple – here’s to 17 more then another 17!
Oh lord, I barely remember our engagement. We were both SO sick with a virus but determined to celebrate our anniversary – 2 years of dating. We went out to dinner. I had a fever. We said something along the lines of “Should we? Do you want to? Is your meal nice?” and that was it!
No ring. I designed my own later on for the wedding and it’s fabulous. The wedding was similarly low key at the registry office. But you know what? We’re solid and a great team. Just rubbish at being showy!
Sounds like you are good at the things that are important – that’s all that matters! Thanks for sharing x
Spring in the UK is March-May, right?…isn’t that when Kate’s bubba is due?…hmmm I hope the two dates don’t clash! Just sayin’ 😉
Oooh when is she due? Too much to cope with!!!
Thank you Beth…personally I am beyond excited. What a great post, love it x
Thanks Jane – loved writing this!
Yes sorry Daisy, I think its 50 year old women as well. I am ridiculously delighted for someone I don’t know – but please don’t ask my Irish husband what he thinks – there may be a few swear words in the answer…As for us? We were holding hands in the dark he asked I answered we were married 6 weeks later and conceived the first of our 2 extraordinary children that very night. I never believed that the phrase wedding night baby was true umtil that night! Beautiful memories!
That they are! Love that!
I loved ‘being engaged’, positioning the left hand just so and flashing the ring, I thought I was gods gift!
I’m so excited for Harry and Meghan, wondering what Diana would think and what she’d be planning. I can’t help feeling apprehensive tho, I know Diana was young and naive and the couples are so much more savvy these days (holy god I sound like my mother) but I hope Meghan will understands what being a royal family member is all about, it’s protocols and pressure and the like, and I hope they both understand that (cliche coming) love IS all you need.
Those smiles tho, melted my heart!
Liz I am exactly like you…surely no matter how prepared you think you could be it would all still come as a shock. I hope they can make it and stay happy and in love and do the good work the intend to do x
I love them both so much. I adore Harry and Diana would jut love her. I do hope that the media doesn’t start up rubbish like they always do. I still remember sitting there watching Diana’s wedding and my beautiful mum ringing me saying they forgot to iron her wedding dress lol.
Lovely couple.
Yes! I remember that about Diana’s dress too. It’s quite the road ahead for them – hope they survive it all ok! x
Thank god for your Royal Updates… I know I live under a rock and all but I haven’t seen any of these pics… where the hell have I been. So thank you Beth. Loved that interview!!!
Happy to help darls, you know me! x
I read that it was SHOCKING because Meghan had naked legs when they announced their engagement. One must always wear stockings if one is royal! Apparently, sales of stockings have gone up in Britain because of Kate Middleton.
It is my job to know these kind of things! LOL.
I love that you know these things…because now I do too!