Royal Expert Says Kate And William Surprised The Queen When They Did This

Prince William and Kate Middleton's love story is one of the sweetest in the royal family. The pair met when they were very young at St. Andrew's University in 2001 (via Hello! Magazine). 

Kate reportedly won William over when she appeared in a charity fashion show, which he paid a pretty penny to attend and sit in the front row. The pair later began dating and were first seen spending time together in 2004. 

They began attending royal events together, and, in 2010, William popped the question to Kate in secret during a special vacation together in Kenya.

William and Kate officially announced their engagement the following month in November. She was then given the blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring that previously belonged to William's late mother, Princess Diana. 

The pair married a year later, in April 2011, at Westminster Abbey — with millions watching around the globe — and were given the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

While the royal family seemed to be over the moon about William and Kate's union, a new report reveals that Queen Elizabeth was a bit taken aback by their engagement announcement.

According to Marie Claire, Prince William and Kate Middleton kept their engagement a secret for a bit before going public with the news. She even put her stunning engagement ring in a safe to keep their secret under wraps. 

After celebrating privately, William was adamant that he didn't want the news to leak, so he asked his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for permission to announce the engagement the morning that he wound up revealing the news, which was said to give the monarch a bit of a surprise.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl reveals in her book "Kate: The Future Queen" that Elizabeth was "thrilled to receive William's call, albeit a little surprised at the suddenness of the announcement," she wrote (via the Mirror). 

"The Queen had no idea that there would be an announcement that morning. It was rather hurried, because William was apparently worried about it leaking out."

In the end, William and Kate made the announcement on their own terms without the news being leaked beforehand. 

"William enjoyed outfoxing the media, and this was one announcement he wanted to make himself," Nicholl writes. "The last thing he wanted was a newspaper getting the scoop, as had happened with his father's engagement to Camilla."

William and Kate recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, now share three children, and are still going strong.