Gayle King will soon have a new daughter-in-law, and she has Oprah Winfrey to thank for helping her pull off the proposal.
On Monday, the 69-year-old CBS Mornings anchor shared on Instagram that her son, William Bumpus Jr., is engaged to Elise Smith after he recently popped the question at a stunning location, where she and others were watching surreptitiously in the wings.
“It has happened! Favorite son @willgb3has found his person and I now have a favorite daughter-in-law to be. The lovely @elisemariesmith!” King wrote in a post. “There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen and a lot of planning went into this moment, so here’s some behind the scenes…now just waiting for the date of the wedding! 👰🏽♀️🤵🏽♂️.”
In a carousel post featuring photos and videos from the day, King shared a picture of the happy couple after Smith accepted the proposal, along with hilarious behind-the-scenes videos of before, during and after the question had been asked and answered.
“Behind the scenes of the proposal,” King says in the first video, which shows Winfrey, 70, scouting locations for the photographer to hide so that Smith was not tipped off as to the hidden intentions of her now-fiancé.
“What’s your suggestion Oprah on where Brett [the photographer] should be?” King asks as Winfrey hides behind shrubbery to conceal herself.
Another video in the post sees the group watching the proposal through a window and one member of the party even being scolded for trying to open a window in order to listen in on the private moment between Bumpus Jr. and Smith.
After showing off several of her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s engagement photos, King attached a video of the group — which also included King’s daughter, Kirby Bumpus, and her 2-year-old grandson, Luca — applauding and going in to inspect the gorgeous ring on Smith’s finger.
King shares her two children with her ex-husband, William Bumpus Sr., whom she was married to from 1982 to 1993.
The final slide shows King with Bumpus Jr., Smith and Luca, as well as a shot of the entire group holding up champagne glasses in celebration of the happy couple.
