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Celeb Christmas engagements! Zara Tindall, Ant McPartlin & more romantic proposal photos

Do you remember Serena Williams and Stacey Solomon's festive engagements?

Zara Tindall, Stacey Solomon, Serena Williams and more who got engaged over Christmas
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
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Christmas is a very popular time to propose – just look at Stacey Solomon, Sofia Vergara and Chrissy Teigen for proof!

They are just a handful of celebrities who have embraced the ultra-romantic holiday season by getting engaged, with crisp winter walks, rose petals and movie nights adding to the intimate atmosphere.

From Princess Eugenie's lake engagement to Ant McPartlin's Christmas Eve meal, join us as we reminisce about some of the most thoughtful celebrity engagements in December. Are you inspired?

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

princess eugenie jack brooksbank proposal© Photo: Instagram

Jack Brooksbank popped the question to Princess Eugenie on New Year’s Day in 2018 during their holiday in Nicaragua.

The royal later told presenter Matt Baker of the idyllic spot: "The lake was so beautiful, it was a special light and I even said, 'This is an incredible moment,' and then he popped the question, which was really surprising even though we had been together seven years. It was the perfect moment because we knew it was going to end up this way." 

She added: "I was over the moon, crying."

Zara and Mike Tindall

zara mike tindall house engaged z© Photo: Getty Images

The holidays are a popular time to propose for members of the royal family, as Mike Tindall also chose a low-key moment shortly before Christmas 2010. 

The rugby player surprised Zara Phillips with a diamond ring as they watched a film together at home. Speaking of his pre-proposal nerves, he told the Daily Mail: "I was upstairs, plucking up the nerve to do it, while Zara was downstairs watching television," he said. "It was all about shock value – I wanted to catch her when it was quiet, and she wasn't expecting anything."

Mike also said he had been "waiting" to pop the question for "ages" following their seven-year relationship, but delayed the milestone after Prince William proposed to Princess Kate.

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash

stacey solomon engaged© Photo: Instagram

Loose Women's Stacey Solomon was wearing her slippers when Joe Swash proposed during a family walk on Christmas Eve 2020! The TV star explained: "We were talking along and he had asked someone to put white roses around these trees and I was like, 'Oh my god, I think someone's passed away in our woods'." 

After realising that it was a sweet proposal set up prepared by Joe, Stacey confessed she was so stunned she forgot to respond, and Joe had to prompt the kids and say: "What does mummy say?"

Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward

sophie edward engagement© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhy-Jones' Christmas holiday on Windermere Island in the Bahamas in 1998 was the setting of their private, romantic engagement. 

The late Queen Elizabeth's youngest son presented his wife-to-be with a white gold ring set with a two-carat diamond and two heart-shaped gemstones.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian

two chairs and a table draped in red rose petals next to a hotel swimming pool and terrace© Alexis Ohanian on Instagram

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian announced their engagement on Reddit in 2016 with a cartoon and a poem written by the tennis pro. One year later, Serena shared a photo of the romantic setting in Rome, Italy, which she revealed was "at the exact same table we met." The table sat next to the pool with red rose petals scattered on the ground. 

Ant McPartlin and Anne-Marie Corbett

ant anne marie wedding© Photo: Getty Images

Presenter Ant McPartlin asked Anne-Marie Corbett to be his wife on Christmas Eve 2020, presenting her with a jaw-dropping four-carat diamond ring that is worth £200,000, according to the Daily Mail.

Few details have been released of the proposal, but the Saturday Night Takeaway star's publicist Simon Jones confirmed that the setting was "very romantic". The couple tied the knot on Saturday 7 August 2021 at St Michael Church in Heckfield. 

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello in a black suit and Sofi­a Vergara in a white strapless dress© Getty

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello got engaged on Christmas Eve at sunset in Hawaii back in 2014, just six months after they started dating. The Magic Mike star reportedly said: "Eres mi todo", which is Spanish for: "You are my everything."

They announced their separation in 2023 following eight years of marriage.

Alex Murphy and Paul Klein

Paul Klein on one knee proposing to Alex Murphy© Instagram

Alex Murphy married her husband Paul Klein in December 2023, one year after his surprise proposal. The YouTube star, who is one half of Paul & Kleiny, made Alex believe she was on her way to Winter Wonderland before playing a personalised song for her in the car. 

He then pulled up to a white sign that read, 'Will you marry me,' surrounded by red roses before getting down on one knee in front of their closest friends and family. 

"I wasn't expecting it. Or not even close. We obviously knew we were going to be together forever. But we had kind of mentioned that we would talk about all that stuff maybe this coming year. I had no clue, he totally got me," she told HELLO! of her shock.

Shane Nolan and Maddie Wahdan

Coleen Nolan hugging son Shane© HGL

Coleen Nolan and Shane Richie's son Shane Jr proposed to his wife Maddie Wahdan on Christmas Eve 2020 during a game of charades in front of his family!

"On Christmas Eve my son Shane proposed to his now fiancé, we were playing a game where we had to guess what the person was going to say... she cried, I cried," the Loose Women star told viewers of the lockdown engagement.

"We did know for a month beforehand, originally Maddie was going to go back to her mum for Christmas when it was tiers. He was behind her and he said, 'The ring is down there.'"

Lady Kitty Spencer and Michael Lewis

ASCOT, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 18: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Lady Kitty Spencer attends day one of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2019 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Ge© Max Mumby/Indigo

Lady Kitty Spencer married husband Michael Lewis in a lavish three-day wedding in Italy in July 2021, seven months after getting engaged.

Princess Diana's niece confirmed her relationship with the 60-year-old fashion tycoon in May 2020, and according to MailOnline, he popped the question shortly before Christmas.

Her platinum ring, which was revealed on her wedding day, was designed and handcrafted by Peter Norman Jewelers and reportedly featured "a large emerald diamond surrounded by French cut rubies."

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman

Drew Will2 © Photo: Getty Images

Drew Barrymore got engaged to art consultant Will in December 2011 after less than a year of dating.

Will proposed while the pair were holidaying in scenic Sun Valley, Idaho over the Christmas holidays and later married in June 2012. However, the couple announced their split in 2016.

The wedding was Drew's third trip down the aisle. The Hollywood actress was married for a year each to Jeremy Thomas and Tom Green.

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth

reese jim

Reese Witherspoon and her estranged husband Jim got engaged in late December 2010, after almost a year of dating. The couple exchanged vows just a few months later in March 2011 at Reese's country ranch in Ojai, California.

The former couple share son Tennessee, and Reese is also mother to Ava and Deacon from her previous marriage to Ryan Philippe. They announced their split in March 2023.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel in a cream silk dress with Justin Timberlake in a black suit© Startraks/Shutterstock

The couple had been together for four and a half years before they officially got engaged. Justin proposed while the couple were in the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming, but it was the Suit & Tie singer's grandmother who let slip that the pair were ready to tie the knot.

"He called me on Christmas Day and told me he was engaged," said grandmother Sadie Bomar. "The family loves Jessie. She's a very sweet girl."

Justin and Jessica married in a magical ceremony in Italy, where Jessica stunned in a blush pink Giambattista Valli gown.

Lily Allen and Sam Cooper

lily allen wedding

The Smile singer got engaged on Christmas Day in 2010 when she and her ex-husband Sam Cooper were holidaying in Bali.

Lily said "I do" to builder and decorator Sam before celebrating with champagne and cocktails in the hotel bar. They later split in 2018 and Lily has since married David Harbour.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attend JOHN LEGEND Birthday Party at Merkato 55 N.Y.C. on December 28, 2007 in New York City.

Soul singer John Legend asked his long-term supermodel girlfriend Chrissy Tiegen to marry him after the couple had been together for four years.

John popped the question while the pair were on holiday in the Maldives in December 2011. The singer's romantic proposal was almost scuppered at the airport when security guards were rifling through his bag that contained the ring in the box.

"Chrissy was standing right next to me and I was, like, 'Oh, my God, I've hid it so well this whole time," said John. "'It's going to ruin the surprise and I'll have to get on my knees in the airport.' But for some reason they decided not to look in the box. They just didn't look." The lovebirds tied the knot in 2013 in an intimate ceremony in Lake Como.

 

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves

matthew and camilla © Photo: WhoSay

Matthew McConaughey popped the question to Brazilian model Camila on Christmas Day in 2011. Matthew shared a touching photo of the couple kissing with the caption, "Just asked Camila to marry me, Merry Christmas."

The Hollywood actor, whose nuptials took place in summer 2012, later revealed that "yes" wasn't the first word to come out of her mouth at the time. "I'm not gonna say what it was," said Matthew on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. "But I did say, 'Look, I'm down on a knee. I'll stay here a while. I will outlast you.' And I did. She conceded."



Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling

Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling pose together at a red carpet event. © Getty

Dean McDermott proposed to his former wife Tori Spelling on Christmas Eve in 2005 at a Christmas tree farm in Toronto.

The actor had a little help from his sister, who put up fairy lights that led to a table for two. Dean and Tori then rode up in a horse-drawn carriage and the groom-to-be popped the question.

A year later, after marrying in May 2006, Dean proposed for a second time."We sat on a bench overlooking the lake and I gave Tori her last Christmas present," he said. "I'd wrapped the ring in a much bigger box, and as soon as she opened the ring box I asked her to marry me again. It was very romantic and magical." They announced their separation in June 2023. 

RELATED: 12 private royal proposals: Countess Sophie's Bahamas holiday, Zara Tindall's movie night & more

LOOK: 12 celebrities who married in December – from Alex Jones to Christine Lampard

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor

I have spent 8 years working in journalism and after joining HELLO! in 2019, I explored the fashion, parenting, homes and weddings verticals before deciding I wanted to work on them all!


I am single-handedly responsible for the weddings vertical, which has seen me secure exclusive coverage of celebrity engagements, weddings and vow renewals, and launch HELLO!'s Bride Guide newsletter which is packed full of expert interviews and evergreen content.


But my passions extend far beyond just weddings. I help set the news agenda for the eight lifestyle verticals, focus on growing all lifestyle traffic on Apple News, and I have worked on breaking news events including European royal weddings and King Charles' coronation.


I was born in London but have indulged my love of travelling by living in the United States and Australia. After gaining a degree in History at the University of Kent, I began my journalism career in Sydney working for B2B publications and interviewing C-suite executives. After moving back to the UK in 2019, I realised my true calling was delving into the lives of celebrities and royals, so I began my journey as a Lifestyle Writer at HELLO! before working my way up to Deputy Lifestyle Editor. 


You can follow me on Instagram @nickymurphy12.

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