It has been speculated that the 27-year-old prince and Miss Middleton, 28, could marry in 2012 to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

英國王子威廉最近在探訪一家盲人服務中心時稱自己“過一陣才會結(jié)婚”。媒體普遍猜測他和女友，現(xiàn)年28歲的Middleton小姐將在2012年結(jié)婚，配合祖母伊麗莎白女王的鉆石婚紀念。

The prince hinted that an announcement about their engagement was in the pipeline during a visit to a centre for blind and partially sighted former service personnel yesterday.

Asked by Simon Brown, a blinded serviceman, if he would receive an invitation to any royal wedding, the prince laughingly replied: "You will have to wait a while yet".

While the offhand remark hardly indicates that a public announcement is imminent, it follows months of reports that Buckingham Palace could be quietly preparing for a wedding.

In December The Daily Telegraph's Mandrake column disclosed that the Royal Family had appointed Sarah Sienesi, a wedding planner, as a lady-in-waiting to the Countess of Wessex.

It has been speculated that the 27-year-old prince and Miss Middleton, 28, could marry in 2012 to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Apart from a brief separation in 2007 the couple have been together since they started dating while students at the University of St Andrews in 2003.

At the St Dunstan's centre in Llandudno, North Wales, the Prince met a number of former servicemen who have lost their sight.

Mr Brown, 31, from Morley in West Yorkshire was blinded by sniper fire while on a rescue mission in Iraq in 2006.

He showed the prince his glass eye with the Union flag printed on it.

Mr Brown said: "When I was lying in hospital I didn't know how I was going to cope.

"But thanks to the support and sense of belonging I received from the St Dunstan's community, I've regained my confidence and am looking forward to a happy and independent future.

"As I get used to life without sight, it is comforting to know that I will be able to make use of the Centre in nearby Llandudno for my future training and recovery.

"The new Centre will mean St Dunstan's will be able to reach out to many more blind veterans, so that they too can look forward to an independent future."

Prince William also took part in some blind archery, under the instruction of former Welsh Guardsman, Clive Jones.