An army veteran proposed to his girlfriend on the steps of Buckingham Palace and is now considering a castle wedding. John Brady bought a Disney Enchanted Cinderella ring for his fiancée Natasha O’Brien, 27, and proposed in front of 2,000 people on May 12.
The couple, who started dating in 2015 before John decided to pop the question, are from Bootle and now live in Aintree. They have three children and a fourth baby on the way. They have been together since November 2014 when John messaged Natasha on Facebook asking her out on a date.
She initially said no but, after some perseverance, 29-year-old John was granted a date. After a three month stay in the Falklands he returned to the UK, met Natasha’s daughter and knew he wanted to be involved in their life. Seven and a half years later, the war veteran was invited to Buckingham Palace for a garden party organized by the Not Forgotten Association, which supports soldiers and veterans. John was discharged from the army on health grounds in 2017 after serving for five years, Liverpool Echo reports.
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He realized it would be a special place to propose and asked Natasha’s father for permission to marry him before heading to London. John arranged for a photographer and had just 15 minutes to offer before meeting Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence. He said: “At that time I was really nervous. She couldn’t believe how organized I had been and how well I had managed to keep it a secret. She looked really surprised and shocked but really happy.
“Natasha is a big Disney fan and Cinderella has been her favorite princess since she was little. I still think she didn’t get over the shock. Now, every time we see Buckingham Palace, it will remind us of our own piece of history that we will have forever.
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John and Natasha want to pull out all the stops for their big day. They plan to wait a few years so that children Lily Rose, 10, Taylor James, 4, and Logan John, 3, can fully understand what is going on and get involved as much as possible. Their home in Aintree is very busy as they also have three dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs and a turtle. John said: “We’ve obviously been together for a number of years and have kids so she already knows how much I care for her. She’s my best friend and we make each other laugh all the time.
John works at Peel Ports in Liverpool, while Natasha is a stay-at-home mom. He said their happiest times together have been spending time with the kids, but they also enjoy going to the movies with their unlimited pass. The Not Forgotten Association holds an annual garden party at Buckingham Palace. John plans to give them back by running a marathon in New York in a few months.
