PRINCE William and his new fiance, Kate Middleton, have given their first interview since announcing their engagement this morning.

The young couple spoke to ITV News about their forthcoming marriage and the “romantic” moment he proposed during a holiday to Kenya.

The Prince, 28, said he had been planning the move for a while and then it “just felt really right” while they were in Africa together.

He said he had been carrying the ring around in his rucksack for weeks and had been fearful of fiends’ proposal “horror stories”.

He said: “I was torn between asking Kate’s dad first and then the realisation that he might say no, but I though if I ask her first he can’t say no.”

When asked about the possibility of children, he replied: “I think we’ll take it one step at a time.”

Miss Middleton said it was “romantic” and that she had not expected the proposal at all.

“It was a total shock when it came and now I’m excited,” she added.

She said she would look after the precious ring she had been given by the prince, which had belonged to Princess Diana, and that her own mother was “over the moon”.

She said: “I hope we’ll be able to have a happy family ourselves.”

She explained that when they had first met, she went “bright red” and it had taken a long time to get to know one another, but they soon became very close.

Miss Middleton recalled the “nervous” time when she first met the Queen and Prince Philip and explained how they had been very welcoming to her.

The Prince said that their split a few years ago was down to them being “different characters” and trying to find their own way as they were growing up.

Miss Middleton said she wasn’t happy about it at the time but had learnt from the experience.

She said she would loved to have met Princess Diana and that she was a special person to look up to and was happy to be becoming part of a “wonderful family”.

Prince William, who admitted he had “taken his time”, added: “It’s about making your own future and Kate will do very well at that.

“We’re hugely excited and are really looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together.”