Gossip: Prince William, Kate Middleton

At last, Britain will have another royal wedding. Prince William is formally engaged to longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton, and the couple will marry next spring or summer in London, Buckingham Palace announced this week. Their romance began in college and briefly faltered in 2007, but after their reunion, the tabloids began calling Middleton “Waity Katie” because no ring was forthcoming. “We’re obviously thrilled,” said William’s father, Prince Charles. “They’ve been practicing long enough.”

William, 28, is second in line to the throne, after his father. His marriage to Middleton, also 28, will be Britain’s biggest spectacle since Charles’ marriage to Diana Spencer in 1981, and the news was greeted with great enthusiasm by a British public weary of somber economic news and budget cuts. “It’s great to have a piece of unadulterated good news that everyone can celebrate,” said Prime Minister David Cameron.