Public marriage proposals aren’t romantic – they’re a form of coercion

Don’t make me an unwilling participant in your embarrassing show of affection, writes Guy Walters

The only public proposal video I ever wish to see is one in which the woman says no (UniofNewcastle/Twitter)

I clearly remember the first time I witnessed a public proposal of marriage. My wife and I were out for dinner on Valentine’s Day (when we still did things like that), and we had gone to some terribly chic and expensive restaurant in Chelsea (when we still had money).

At some point, we became aware of a kerfuffle, and it quickly emerged that a man was on one knee and holding up a ring to his dining companion, who he obviously wished to be his wife. I can recall him clearly, as he had a dodgy moustache and nasty baggy suit – we were just coming out of the nineties – and I can also recall the woman’s reaction, which was one of complete shock.