Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Prince William Was Very Clear About Why He Didn't Propose to Princess Kate Sooner

    "I once asked William why he's not getting married till he was 30."

    Amy Mackelden#039;s avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 26 November 2024 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Kate Middleton wears a blue dress and has long curly hair as Prince William looks at her announcing their engagement
    (Image credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Prince William and Princess Kate's relationship has been undeniably romantic. After meeting at the University of St Andrews in 2001, the pair quietly started dating. Following a very public breakup in 2007, William and Kate reunited, and would finally announce their engagement in 2010. Now, a royal expert is dishing on why Prince William didn't propose to Kate Middleton sooner.

    During an interview with The Sun's "Royal Exclusive" show, royal photographer Arthur Edwards opened up about Prince William's alleged apprehension when it came to getting married.

    "I once asked William why he's not getting married till he was 30," Edwards told the outlet. "He said, 'Because I have to go to the Army, because one day I'll be Head of the Forces. I'll have to go in the Army, after going to the Navy, I have to go in the Air Force and the Marines." And according to Edwards, William's ambitions didn't end there: "He said, 'Then I've got to go to business school, and there's just no time before that.'"

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Kate Middleton wears a royal blue dress and a big black hat and black blazer to attend a wedding with Prince William

    Princess Kate and Prince William in October 2010.

    (Image credit:  Indigo/Getty Images)

    It would seem as though Prince William compromised on his timeline; he was 28 years old when he tied the knot with a 29-year-old Kate.

    However, the Prince of Wales did achieve most of his ambitions. After graduating from St Andrews in 2005, William trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. As well as becoming a lieutenant in the British Army, he spent time training with the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Marines, per Forces News. He then trained as a search and rescue pilot, and spent time as an air ambulance pilot.

    You may like
    • Prince William Princess Kate dating Royal Editor Reveals the “Sincere” Advice Given To Kate Middleton While Dating Prince William
    • Princess Kate talking to Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton in front of two cars Prince William’s Former Private Secretary Shares Rare Insight Into Relationship with Princess Kate
    • Princess Kate, Prince William, and King Charles III attend the Ceremonial Welcome, at Horse Guards Parade, for the Qatar State Visit to the United Kingdom on December 3, 2024 Charles Was "A Little Irritated" When William Proposed

    Even though William didn't attend business school, it's clear that he wanted to achieve certain career milestones before starting a family.

    Prince William and Kate Middleton wearing green jackets and brown boots walking on a gravel path outside

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Earlier this year, Edwards revealed that Prince William wanted his marriage to Kate to "last forever." As a result, the young Prince reportedly wasn't in a rush to tie the knot.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Writing for The Sun, Edwards explained, "Once William told me the reason he and Kate took their time getting engaged was because he wanted to make sure his marriage would last forever."

    Explore More
    Princess Catherine Prince William
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

    Read more
    Prince William Princess Kate dating
    Royals Royal Editor Reveals the “Sincere” Advice Given To Kate Middleton While Dating Prince William
    By Christine Ross
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate and Prince William Aren't "Lazy"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Prince Harry,  Meghan Markle, Princess Kate and Prince William walking in a row
    Royals Prince William and Princess Kate Have a "Very Difficult Hill to Climb" With Harry and Meghan
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
    Royals Prince William and Princess Kate Are Taking A “Wait-and-See Approach” To Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s UK Move
    By Christine Ross
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Duchess Sophie wearing a lime green dress with a purple sash
    Royals Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend
    A split image of Prince Harry kissing Lilibet and Harry and Lilibet skiing
    Royals Princess Lilibet Shares One of Mom Meghan's Favorite Hobbies
     
     
    Grace Kelly wearing a white dress
    Royals Grace Kelly "Understood Quiet Luxury" Before the Term Was Invented
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
     
     
    Latest in News
    Duchess Sophie wearing a lime green dress with a purple sash
    Royals Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend
    A split image of Prince Harry kissing Lilibet and Harry and Lilibet skiing
    Royals Princess Lilibet Shares One of Mom Meghan's Favorite Hobbies
     
     
    Ayo Edebiri 2026 Emmys red carpet
    Celebrity Style Ayo Edebiri Sticks to Her Winning Red Carpet Formula at the Emmys
    a white woman in a gold dress with dark brown hair
    Nails Selena Gomez's 2026 Emmys Manicure Is All About a "Frosted Sunset" Finish
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.