Prince William reveals why 'special place' where he proposed to Kate Middleton has his heart

LONDON, ENGLAND: Prince William and Kate Middleton are still going strong after getting married in 2011. The Prince of Wales recently described how Africa served as the backdrop for their engagement.

Prince William said that the entire continent has a "special place" in his heart while reflecting on his proposal to Kate Middleton. He also added that he is traveling to South Africa to support his initiative, the Earthshot Prize.

Prince William says 'Africa has always held a special place' in his heart

Prince William has reflected on his proposal to Kate Middle as he returns to Africa, a region that holds a "special place" in his heart, ahead of the Earthshot Prize ceremony.

"Africa has always held a special place in my heart — as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and, most recently, as the founding inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize," William said, as he got ready to travel to South Africa to support his environmental initiative.

In the statement released on November 2, he added, "It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realized the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature," reported People.

William proposed to Kate while on a romantic vacation in Kenya in 2010. The engagement ring, which formerly belonged to the late Princess Diana, had been in his backpack for weeks before.

As Kate Middleton, 42, recovers from cancer, the 42-year-old prince is set to fly alone to Cape Town on Monday, November 4. He made the statement while Cape Town was getting ready for a week of activities that would culminate in the star-studded Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony on Wednesday, November 6.

William will begin a four-day trip to South Africa on November 4, known as Earthshot Week, which will feature a meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa, the leader of the country, and young African environmentalists.

The Prince of Wales will also begin a two-day summit for United for Wildlife, his parent organization that fights illicit animal trafficking, with what Kensington Palace has called a historic statement on nature, the environment, and his support for wildlife rangers, reported Daily Mail.

"I am proud that since its inception The Earthshot Prize has traveled to Europe, North America, and Asia, spotlighting and scaling 45 groundbreaking solutions, all of which are having a tangible impact as we work as a global collective to secure the future of our planet," William said.

Prince William's romantic proposal in Africa came as 'total shock' to Kate Middleton

Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in Kenya, Africa, in 2010, after the couple had been together for almost 10 years, having initially met at the University of St Andrews in 2001.

They visited Kenya during the vacation before checking into a lodge on Lake Rutundu. William discovered that it was the ideal location to pose the eagerly anticipated question, according to Daily Express.

According to royal author Katie Nicholl, Prince William kneeled and proposed to Kate on a porch after the two spent the day trying in vain to catch rainbow trout before heading back to their log cabin.

Kate Middleton chose to write a heartfelt note in their vacation lodge's guest book after William's proposal to remember the significant and beautiful event. "Thank you for such a wonderful 24 hours!" she wrote.

"Sadly no fish to be found but we had fun trying. I love the warm fires and candlelights-so romantic. Hope to be back soon, Catherine Middleton," she added.

There was no public announcement of their proposal until the pair made their engagement official on November 16, 2010.

Kate wore the late Princess Diana's 18-carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring when the couple appeared on ITV for their first-ever joint interview after their engagement announcement.

"It was a total shock when it came. There's a true romantic in there," Kate remarked during the interview.

William added, "As every guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. So I was planning it and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful."