At long last, Prince William and Kate Middleton have announced their engagement, which actually took place in October while the couple vacationed in Kenya. As it turns out, those closest to the couple, both family and friends, knew about their engagement not long after it occurred, but kept quiet out of respect for the couple.

"It's news to the world, but not to their own inner circle," said one source with ties to the royal family. "Even (William's brother) Harry was talking openly about it with several of their close friends weeks ago."

Rumors of an engagement did heat up recently, and Middleton's parents were photographed at the Queen's Balmoral estate in early November. However, no details or official confirmation emerged until Tuesday. "The people closest to William and Kate really respect their privacy. There was not a single person among their circle that would want to leak something this important to the press."

To that end, it was confirmed that William and Kate have been living together for the last six months, in a rented cottage on the island of Anglesey, off the coast of North Wales, near where William is stationed in the Royal Air Force Valley where he's a search and rescue helicopter pilot.

from UKs Daily Mail