Crown And Controversy - 1. The Engagement

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In November 2010, Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton—and the monarchy’s future shifted forever. But this royal fairytale had its shadows: a university romance tested by separation, the media’s “Waity Katie” taunts, and the ever-present ghost of Princess Diana. In our premiere episode, we trace the couple’s long road to engagement—from St Andrews to a remote cabin in Kenya—and unpack the pressures, symbolism, and modern stakes behind the sapphire ring that once belonged to William’s mother. As the royal institution searched for relevance in the 21st century, could a commoner from Bucklebury carry the Crown forward?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Caalaruga Shark Media. The year was twenty ten, a crisp
autumn day in November, when the news broke that would
captivate a nation, and indeed the world. The headlines exploded
across every newspaper and television screen. Prince William of Wales,

(00:28):
second in line to the British throne, had finally proposed
to his long term girlfriend, Catherine Middleton. After years of speculation,
false alarms and breathless anticipation, the moment millions had been
waiting for had arrived. This is Crown and Controversy, Episode one.

(00:53):
The engagement. The couple had met nearly a decade earlier
at the University of Saint Andrew's in Scotland, where both
were studying art history. William, the Golden Prince, haunted heir

(01:13):
to the throne, son of Charles and the beloved late Diana,
Princess of Wales, a young man whose childhood had unfolded
in the unforgiving glare of public tragedy. Kate, the striking brunette,
daughter of former flight dispatchers turned successful party supply entrepreneurs,
A woman whose understated elegance masked a steely determination that

(01:36):
would serve her well in the royal fishbowl. Their story
was already the stuff of fairy tales, but now it
was official. A commoner would one day become queen forever,
altering the bloodline of one of the world's oldest monarchies.
The palace announcement was characteristically understated. The Prince of Wales

(01:57):
is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to
Miss Catherine Middleton. Behind those simple words lay a romance
that had weathered storms of public scrutiny, temporary separation, and
the weight of royal expectations. On that November day, as
cameras flashed and journalists clamored for the perfect shot, William

(02:20):
and Kate stood before the world in the State apartments
at Saint James's Palace. The tension in the room was electric,
every breath and glance analyzed by hundreds of lenses. Kate
wore a deep blue ice address that perfectly matched the
sapphire and diamond engagement ring on her finger, the same
ring that had once belonged to William's mother. The symbolism

(02:43):
was lost on no one. Diana's shadow, both blessing and
burden would forever follow this couple's journey. It's my mother's
engagement ring, William explained to the press. I thought it
was quite nice because obviously she's not going to be
around to share any of the fun and excitement of
it all. This was my way of keeping her close

(03:05):
to it all. For William orphaned at the tender age
of fifteen when Diana died in that tragic Paris car crash,
this connection to his mother was significant. The ring, a
twelve caret oval sapphire surrounded by fourteen diamonds set in
white gold, had been Diana's own choice after her engagement

(03:26):
to Charles in nineteen eighty one. Now it adorned the
finger of the woman who would one day stand where
Diana might have as queen consort beside a King William.
The journey to this moment had been far from straightforward.
William and Kate had met as freshman at university in
two thousand and one. Initially just friends, their relationship blossomed

(03:51):
romantically during their second year, when they shared a house
with other students. Kate caught the Prince's eye at a
charity fashion show where she failed Mussley walk the runway
in a sea through dress. Williams, seated in the front row,
was smitten. Their university years provided a rare bubble of
normalcy for the Prince. Students and locals in the small

(04:14):
Scottish town largely respected their privacy, allowing the relationship to
develop away from the harsh spotlight of London's media. They
could wander to local pubs, share takeaway dinners in their flat,
and study side by side in the library, experiences the
Prince treasured for their ordinariness. After graduation, reality intruded with

(04:39):
brutal force. William began his military career training at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, before joining the Blues and Royals
regiment of the Household Cavalry. Kate took a position as
an accessories buyer with British clothing retailer Jigsaw. The geographical
separations strained their bond, but an e even greater threat

(05:01):
loomed William's apparent reluctance to commit his royal duty and
personal freedom locked in silent combat within him. The press,
ever hungry for royal news, dubbed Kate weighty Katie, a

(05:23):
cruel moniker that stung her deeply. Despite her composed public face,
tabloids dissected her every move, questioning her intentions, her background,
her worthiness. The scrutiny intensified as months turned to years,
the weight of expectations crushing down on both of them.
In early two thousand and seven, with the press circling

(05:46):
like vultures and William's struggling with his commitment fears, the
pressure reached a devastating breaking point. The couple's separations sent
shockwaves through royal circles and broke hearts across Britain. Had
the fairy tale before it truly began. We were both
very young, William later reflected on the split. We were

(06:06):
finding ourselves and being different characters. It was very much
trying to find our own way and we were growing up.
Kate would later add her perspective, at the time, I
wasn't very happy about it, but it made me a
stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe
you hadn't realized. The separation lasted only a few months.

(06:30):
By June, they were spotted together at a concert commemorating
the tenth anniversary of Diana's death. By the end of
the year, their relationship was firmly back on track. William
knew that whoever he married would face unprecedented scrutiny. His
mother's tragic experience with the press had deeply scarred him.

(06:50):
He was determined to protect Kate and ensure she understood
what royal life would truly entail. I wanted to give
her a chance to see in and to back out
if she needed to, before it all got too much,
William explained, I'm trying to learn from lessons done in
the past. For her part, Kate had demonstrated remarkable composure

(07:12):
under pressure, despite the constant paparazzi attention. She never spoke
to the press, never complained publicly, never put a foot wrong.
The Palace noted her discretion and poise, qualities essential for
a future queen. In the autumn of twenty ten, after

(07:34):
years of speculation and pressure, William finally felt the time
was right. During a trip to Kenya with friends, he
carried his mother's ring in his rucksack for three weeks,
his heart pounding each time he checked to ensure the
precious heirloom was still there. The weight of history and
expectation pressed upon him. This was no ordinary proposal, but

(07:57):
a moment that would be enshrined in royal life or
forever at the remote Ratundu log cabins near Mount Kenya,
as storm clouds gathered dramatically on the horizon, he found
his moment there. Overlooking the breathtaking landscape, the future King
of England humbled himself, getting down on one knee before

(08:19):
the woman who had captured his heart against all odds.
It was very romantic, Kate would later say, blushing slightly
at the memory. William, with characteristic understatement, added, I had
been planning it for a while, but as every guy
out there will know, it takes a certain amount of
motivation to get yourself going. The engagement remained their secret

(08:44):
for several weeks, a private joy in life so relentlessly public.
William formally asked Michael Middleton for his daughter's hand, a
traditional touch from the modern prince. The Queen was informed
as required by the Royal Many Marriages Act, and expressed
her delight. Finally, on November sixteenth, twenty ten, the world

(09:07):
was told as Kate and William faced the cameras for
their first official interview as an engaged couple. The contrasts
with the previous generation were stark and revealing, where Charles

(09:30):
and Diana had seemed awkward and distant with his infamous
whatever love means response when asked if they were in love.
William and Kate were visibly comfortable together, frequently exchanging glances
and finishing each other's sentences. The chemistry between them was undeniable,
a stark contrast to the arranged marriage feeling that had

(09:52):
permeated his parents engagement nearly thirty years earlier. We've been
together for a long time now, Kate said. We've gone
through the good times and the bad times, and we
know each other very, very well. The couple revealed they
would live in North Wales, where Williams served as a
search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force. They

(10:14):
planned to continue their relatively normal life, at least as
normal as possible for the future King and Queen. The
engagement triggered immediate speculation about the wedding date and venue.
Royal correspondents analyzed every word from the Palace for clues.
Bookmakers took bets on everything from Kate's dress designer to

(10:36):
the honeymoon location. Kate Mania had begun, and it would
only intensify in the months ahead. For the Middleton family.
The engagement marked their official entry into the royal orbit.
Carroll and Michael Middleton, who had built their party supply
business from scratch, now found themselves the parents of a

(10:56):
future queen. Kate's siblings, Pippa and James, would also find
their lives transformed by their sister's relationship. The Middletons met
the press outside their home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. We are
absolutely delighted, Carol Middleton told reporters. They make a lovely
couple and we wish them every happiness. Behind the scenes,

(11:21):
the palace machine was already in motion. Kate would need
to be prepared for her role, learning protocols and procedures
that most people never encounter. How to curtsey and to whom,
the order of precedence at official functions, the complex rules
governing royal conduct. Kate would have to master it all

(11:41):
while under the microscope of public attention. William was determined
that Kate would not face the same isolation his mother
had experienced. Diana, just twenty years old when she married Charles,
had found herself navigating the byzantine world of royal life
with little support. William ensured Kate would have proper guidance,

(12:03):
and equally importantly, that his family would fully embrace her.
The Queen invited Kate to private lunches getting to know
her future granddaughter in law. Prince Charles welcomed her warmly.
Even Harry, William's sometimes mischievous younger brother, was delighted by
the match, referring to Kate as the sister I never had.

(12:26):
For her part, Kate approached her new role with determination
and grace. She began to make discreet visits to charities,
learning the royal art of the walk about and public engagement.
She studied the history and traditions she would soon be
part of. She prepared to step into a life for
which there is no real training manual. As wedding preparations

(12:49):
began in earnest, the couple faced their first major decision
the scale of the ceremony. Though William was not yet
the heir apparent, his wedding would any eevitably be a
major national occasion. The balance between public expectations and personal
preferences would need to be carefully managed. William was mindful

(13:10):
of the economic challenges many Britons were facing in the
aftermath of the global financial crisis. He and Kate wanted
their wedding to reflect appropriate dignity without appearing tone deaf
to the national mood. The date was set for April
twenty ninth, twenty eleven, at Westminster Abbey. A Friday, was chosen,

(13:31):
and the government declared it a national holiday. The couple
wanted the day to feel like a celebration for the nation,
not just for themselves. In the months between the engagement
and the wedding, Kate's every appearance was scrutinized. What she wore,
how she styled her hair, even her mannerisms became topics

(13:52):
of intense public interest. The Kate effect emerged. Items she
was photographed wearing would sell out, with its retailers rushed
to create affordable versions of her outfits. The global fascination
with Kate reflected more than just fashion interest. She represented
something new for the monarchy. A thoroughly modern woman from

(14:16):
a middle class background who had earned a university degree,
worked in the private sector, and lived with her prince
before marriage. She brought fresh perspective to an ancient institution.
For William, Kate provided stability and normality, qualities he had
often found lacking in his royal existence. Friends noted how

(14:39):
relaxed he was in her company, how she could make
him laugh even during formal occasions. She understood his complex
relationship with his destiny, his simultaneous embrace of and desire
to postpone his royal fate. As the wedding date approached,
the Palace released more details. Kate's dress remained a closely

(15:01):
guarded secret, but it was announced that she had chosen
to arrive at the abbey by car rather than the
traditional horse drawn carriage. She would depart as a royal
but arrive as Catherine Middleton one last time. The guest
list reflected the couple's dual status as private individuals and
public figures. Alongside royalty and dignitaries, were friends from university,

(15:27):
colleagues from work, and people from the charities they supported.
William invited his commanding officers and fellow pilots from RAF Valley.
In the final weeks before the wedding, Kate retreated from
public view. She spent time with her family, had final
dress fittings, and prepared herself mentally for the momentous change ahead.

(15:51):
William continued his RAF duties almost until the last moment,
determined to maintain as much normalcy as possible. The night
before the wedding, William stayed at Clarence House with Harry
and his father. Kate stayed at the Goring Hotel with
her family. Thousands of people had already begun camping along

(16:13):
the procession route, eager to secure the best viewing spots.
As darkness fell on the eve of their wedding, William
and Kate were poised at the threshold of history. Thousands
of royal watchers camped on London streets, the anticipation almost unbearable.
Inside her hotel suite, did Kate consider the enormity of

(16:36):
what awaited her, A life forever altered, privacy surrendered, subjected
to scrutiny no modern woman had ever endured. Did William,
lying awake at Clarence House, feel the ghostly presence of
his mother, whose own royal wedding had begun as fairy tale,
only to crumble into painful tragedy. Their journey from university

(16:59):
friends to royal cut was nearly complete. The next day
would transform not only their lives, but potentially the future
of the monarchy itself, an institution fighting for relevance in
the twenty first century. Now pinning its hopes on the
slender shoulders of a commoner from Bucklebury. Their engagement marked

(17:20):
not just a personal milestone, but a pivotal moment for
the House of Windsor. As they prepared to exchange vows,
the world waited to see what kind of royal couple
they would become and what their union might mean for
the future of one of the world's oldest monarchies. Next

(17:42):
Time on Crown's Crises and Controversy, a sapphire ring with
a troubled history. The ghost of Diana hovers over royal
wedding preparations. As Kate begins her transformation from commoner to
Princess Pallace, insiders question her readiness for royal life. William
makes a controversial decision about his brother's role. The Queen

(18:04):
delivers an unexpected private message to her grandson, and as
wedding preparations reach fever pitch, a last minute crisis threatens
to overshadow their perfect day, while no one truly knows
what happens behind closed palace doors. This entertainment series uses
new sources, on the record, quotes, and some artistic license.

(18:26):
Some moments have been dramatized for storytelling effect. A I
narration was used in creation of this series. To keep
up with the modern day Royal family. Follow our sister podcast,
Pallace Intrigue, a seven day a week, ten minute update
on the Royals, crown and controversy, is a production of
Calaroga Shark Media executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott.