Will and Kate (at the Beaufort polo ground in '05) are "very sweet" together, says one observer. Photo by: NUNN SYNDICATION |
Britain's Mail on Sunday even reported last week that Kate has been invited to the Queen's country retreat Sandringham to join the entire Windsor clan for Christmas Day lunch – an unprecedented honor for an unmarried partner of a royal and, if true, said one royal observer, tantamount to an engagement announcement (Buckingham Palace won't confirm the invitation). There is also the 10,000-sq.-ft. neo-Georgian mansion being built by the royal family on part of a 900-acre estate in a village in Herefordshire, which many believe is being readied for Will and Kate. "It's decision time," says Robert Jobson, author of a new book about the couple, William's Princess. "Will has said he doesn't want to get married until he is 28, but that is just a smoke screen. The pressure starts now."
Kate Middleton in November Photo by: NUNN SYNDICATION |
So just how close is Will to popping the question? Those in the know at Buckingham Palace say no one is ordering Save the Date cards just yet and insist Kate isn't being formally groomed for the future. "There are no people advising her or preparing her for anything," says one palace insider. "She is going about her private life as a private individual." Friends of the couple say that Will, known for his stubborn streak, won't let anyone dictate a time frame – but also acknowledge an engagement is no longer a matter of if but rather when. "This is certainly not something they are going to rush into," says a family friend. "But their relationship is very strong."
The safe money says that Will – who finishes his training at Sandhurst military school this month – will not go ring-hunting until after he is through with his military duties, which could last as long as three years. After graduating, he will likely spend about a year in the Blues and Royals regiment in the Household Cavalry as a second lieutenant in the British Army, and then serve stints in the navy and air force as well. Those duties will keep him plenty busy without the extra commitments an engagement would bring. "If William married now, he would end up having to do a round of royal appearances as people would expect to see him and Kate," says Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine. "And William doesn't appear to want to do that yet."
