Prince William and girlfriend Kate Middleton have been sent congratulations from around the world after announcing their engagement.
On Tuesday, the couple, both 28, revealed they would marry next spring or summer after the prince proposed while on holiday in Kenya in October. The prince gave her his mother Diana's engagement ring - which he said he had carried in a rucksack for three weeks.
Prince Harry said he was delighted and that it was like gaining a sister.
The engagement has made front page headlines globally, with The Times describing the pair as "the new romantics".
Family ties The announcement ends months of speculation for the couple, who have been together for eight years after meeting while students at St Andrews University, Fife.
Speaking in a joint television interview, Prince William said giving Kate the distinctive sapphire and diamond engagement ring was his way of keeping his mother close.
"It's my mother's engagement ring so I thought it was quite nice because obviously she's not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all - this was my way of keeping her close to it all," he said.
Jewellers say they have already had orders for copies of Miss Middleton's engagement ring His bride-to-be called the late princess "an inspirational woman" and said that joining the Royal Family was a "daunting prospect" but something she hoped to take in her stride.
They refused to say whether the prince proposed on one knee but Miss Middleton did say: "It was very romantic and very personal".
Prince William said: "You hear a lot of horror stories about proposing and things going horribly wrong - it went really, really well and I was really pleased she said Yes."
He revealed he had asked Kate's father for her hand in marriage after he had asked her, and said the pair had found it difficult to keep their big news a secret.
"We've been talking about it for a long time so for us, it's a real relief and it's really nice to be able to tell everybody," he said.
The two said they were looking forward to having children but planned to take everything one step at a time.The wedding is to take place in London and the couple will then live in north Wales, where the prince, who is second in line to the throne, is serving with the RAF.
The Queen said she was absolutely delighted for them both, while Prince Charles joked, "They've been practising long enough."
Miss Middleton's parents, who run a mail-order business and are from Bucklebury, Berkshire, said they thought the pair made a "lovely couple".
David Cameron said he had been given a note containing the news during a cabinet meeting, and that his colleagues reacted with "a great cheer".
Labour leader Ed Miliband described the couple as "lovely", while Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Of course, this was a match made in St Andrews".
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also passed on his nation's congratulations and urged the couple to visit.
Prince Charles told reporters he was ''thrilled'' about news of the royal wedding
The couple, who shared their university accommodation with friends, were revealed to be dating in 2005 where they were photographed on the Swiss ski slopes of Klosters.
They split briefly in 2007. During the television interviews, Miss Middleton touched upon their separation and said: "I think at the time I wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person, you find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realised."
Bookmaker Paddy Power has made Saturday, 13 August 2011 the 3/1 favourite for the date of the royal wedding.
However anti-monarchy group Republic said taxpayers should not have to pay any money towards the event as the wedding should be a "private event".
But a spokesman for St James's Palace said the couple would be "mindful of the economic situation", the Press Association news agency reported.
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