LONDON, Dec. 1, 2006

Will Prince Will Pop The Question?

Tabloids Buzzing As Prince William's Girlfriend Gets Holiday Invite From Queen

  • Play CBS Video Video Prince William To Marry?

    Tabloids are buzzing that Prince William may be preparing to tie the knot. Sheila MacVicar reports news of the prince's girlfriend joining his family's Christmas party has sparked the chatter.

    • Prince William in an October 2005 file photo.

      Prince William in an October 2005 file photo.  (AP)

    • British tabloids and magazines are buzzing with speculation about a Prince William marriage proposal to Kate Middleton.

      British tabloids and magazines are buzzing with speculation about a Prince William marriage proposal to Kate Middleton.  (CBS)

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(CBS)  The gossip magazines are in overdrive and the tabloids are buzzing with seasonal speculation that Britain's Prince William is getting ready to tie the knot, CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar reports from Buckingham Palace.

When is an invitation to dinner more than just a chance to sit down with the family? When it's the queen who does the inviting and the dinner in question is Christmas Day with the royals. News that Williams's long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton will be joining the Christmas party has set off a fever of speculation.

"It's very much a media pressurizing, saying 'Will they or won't they?' There is no need as long as she's prepared to wait for him, There is no need for him to commit to a marriage at this moment," says Ingrid Seward of Majesty magazine.

The couple met as students at a Scottish university. They have been together for five years. Unlike that other royal couple, younger brother Harry and his South African girlfriend frequently pictured rocking some royal love boat. William and Kate are discreet about their relationship. They may go to clubs together, even family weddings, but they are rarely photographed together. She has just started a new job that includes making tea. He's still in officer training and those obligations make an early wedding unlikely.

"I think it's quite possible they will get married because they seem to be incredibly close," Seward says. "But I can't see them getting married soon because William isn't settled in his life yet."

But after Prince Charles and his bride Camilla wed without a lot of advance notice, one retailer is taking no chances on losing out on what will be a lucrative souvenir market. In anticipation of an engagement, Woolworth's has the China designed and ready to go.

But the growing popularity of the young royals and the endless fascination with the doings of Diana's children ensures that even if diamonds aren't in Kate Middleton's stocking this Christmas, we will be talking about them any way.

©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Add a Comment See all 15 Comments
by akarsno December 3, 2006 2:06 AM EST
All the money in the world cannot bring you that much of happiness like us normal people.
Material things can make up for it for some but not all.
What is important is finding someone who really loves you as you truly are and make it work for a lifetime.
Reply to this comment
by akarsno December 3, 2006 2:04 AM EST
You people comment so much on the royals but really if you look back through history ... they do have commers blood in them.
All they have is just a name to say they are royal but really they are just normal people like us who have higher status.
I do not think they are special in any manner it was society that put them there in the first place.
Anyway ... who ever they are or seem to be .. they are just humans like any one of us trying to live a life ... only their's is fortunately more more lavish but in a certain sense if you really look at them .. pretty sad.
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by kittycat19 December 2, 2006 7:26 PM EST
Why the peer pressure of dictating whom Prince William should marry and whom he shouldn't get married to. Let him decide on his own and at his own pace. To think, people wonder why there's so much divorces nowadays. It's all because of peer pressure.

Maybe Prince William prefers to keep a low profile with his current relationship. Especially after seeing what the publicity has done to his mother.

Let Prince William and his girlfriend have their space.
Reply to this comment
by gossimer December 2, 2006 10:07 AM EST
I wish the press would just back off Prince William and Prince Harry. Let them have their lives, for crying outloud!
Reply to this comment
by ketch65 December 1, 2006 11:02 PM EST
I live in Australia and I care, I believe that a good MORAL royal family is important,

since when is this family ROYAL, and since when are they of "good" morals?

no wonder humans are doomed to extinction at their own hands.....!!!
Reply to this comment
by ketch65 December 1, 2006 11:00 PM EST
They're two people among a sea of millions x's millions, why in the world, would the world care what they do!?!?

I just don't get the news lately,,,
Reply to this comment
by effallah December 1, 2006 9:32 PM EST
They're Krauts who play cricket. Put them all on a Lufthansa flight back to Germany.
Reply to this comment
by gaye5 December 1, 2006 9:14 PM EST
I live in Australia and I care, I believe that a good MORAL royal family is important, although I don't take any notice the media, nor do I trust what the media says on anything let alone if a royal will marry or not, and I very really read papers , it is like listening to pre-election commentators saying who will win the elections, all boring as the media will tell a mass of porkies to sell a paper, shows you how dumb they think we are, they make money on our dumbness.
Reply to this comment
by December 1, 2006 8:37 PM EST
well if the prince does marry his long time girlfriends l hope their marriage goes better then his father and mothers did, and if it dies l hopw they have awonderful marriage and life together.
Reply to this comment
by alrudy2005 December 1, 2006 6:40 PM EST
that prince is so ugly my butt is starting to look good. lol
Reply to this comment
by angryliberal-2009 December 1, 2006 4:27 PM EST
Who Cares?
Reply to this comment
by stezzer December 1, 2006 4:03 PM EST
As a Brit, I have to say most of us don't really care one way or the other if they get married or not.

However, most of us are royalists. If only because we don't want to see some grotty Brit Prime minister living in Buckingham Palace.

At least the royals have some dignity left, unlike most of our politicians.
Reply to this comment
by olebd December 1, 2006 3:28 PM EST
I thought he had a tail. Turns out, it was just the big silver spoon sticking out of his bum!
Reply to this comment
by kschick1 December 1, 2006 2:36 PM EST
hey there jerryowhatever

if you know anything about britain, you would know they DO care, they have just as many trashy tabloids as the us does, if not more because they have some such as Majesty which is quoted in the article, that are focused on the royalty in their country and don't even report on anyone else

Reply to this comment
by vancouverboo December 1, 2006 2:34 PM EST
This "story" belongs in the Entertainment section.
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