Prince William Kate Middleton Engaged — British Royal Wedding Summer 2011

Butter Up the English Muffins: Prince William’s getting hitched!

On Tuesday, British royal Prince William, 28, confirmed that he is to set wed college sweetheart Kate Middleton — the daughter of self-made millionaires — next year. William proposed to Middleton during a vacation to Kenya last month and the happy news was announced by royal officials on Tuesday.

“The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. The wedding will take place in the spring or summer of 2011 in London,” the statement read.

“Further details about the wedding will be announced in due course. Prince William and Miss Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya. Prince William has informed the queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton’s father. Following the marriage the couple will live in North Wales where Prince William will continue to serve with the Royal Air Force.”

William and Kate, who met as college freshmen, broke up briefly in 2007, but eventually got back together again. The princess-to-be, who is six months older than William, is employed by her family business, Party Pieces, and has become a media darling in her own right during her union with William. In fact, the paparazzi focus on Middleton has drawn comparisons between the beautiful brunette and her fiance’s beloved mother, the late Princess Diana.

A royal wedding is being planned for the Spring or Summer of 2011 — a year before William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, celebrates her 60th year on the throne and as London hosts the 2012 Olympics. The couple will live in North Wales The prince — second-in-line to the British monarchy — weds 30 years after his parents, Charles and Diana, married in what was billed at the time as a fairytale wedding. The 1981 ceremony drew crowds of hundreds of thousands onto the streets of London and was an international television event.

Royal Watchers can expect William and Kate to soon appear in public for photographs, in which the soon-to-be Princess of Wales will show off her engagement ring, The Daily Mail reports. The first interview with the engaged pair will be broadcast tonight in England.