Cameron reveals he proposed to Samantha while watching gangster film Mean Streets and always cries at the Sound of Music

  • PM said he popped the question while the couple were lying on the sofa
  • Mr Cameron said Samantha 'didn't absolutely leap' at his offer of marriage
  • He also revealed that he sheds a tear listening to 'Edelweiss' at Christmas 
  • The Prime Minister said he is forced to 'reach for the Kleenex' at the film

David Cameron has revealed he proposed to his wife Samantha while watching the gangster film Mean Streets - and always cries at the Sound of Music.

The Prime Minister said he popped the question while the couple were lying on the sofa watching the violent Martin Scorsese crime movie - after bottling it 'lots' of times before.

Mr Cameron also revealed that ‘reaches for the Kleenex’ when he hears ‘Edelweiss’ from the hit musical starring Julie Andrews as Maria.

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David Cameron, speaking on Classic FM last night, revealed he proposed to Samantha while watching a film

David Cameron, speaking on Classic FM last night, revealed he proposed to Samantha while watching a film

The Prime Minister said he popped the question while the couple were lying on the sofa watching the violent Martin Scorsese crime movie Mean Streets (pictured) - after bottling it 'lots' of times before

The PM is not the only Sound of Music fan in Parliament who struggles to contain his emotions. 

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls last year took his children on a Sound of Music tour in Austria - and has admitted regularly blubbing at the film. Mr Balls also claimed that he wells up watching Antiques Roadshow. 

The Labour leader Ed Miliband, meanwhile, has revealed how he cried at the film Pride, depicting how gay and lesbian groups from London help struggling miners in Wales. He said: 'Justine and I watched it. I blubbed.'

Nick Clegg has also admitted shedding a tear in private - when listening to music. 

Mr Cameron - on the campaign trail in Enflied north London this morning - revealed that he ‘reaches for the Kleenex’ when watching the Sound of Music with Samantha

Mr Cameron - on the campaign trail in Enflied north London this morning - revealed that he ‘reaches for the Kleenex’ when watching the Sound of Music with Samantha

Mr Cameron posed with his then fiancee Samantha Sheffield - a friend of the future Prime Minister's sister - in 1995 after the pair got engaged
David Cameron with fiancee Samantha Sheffield

Mr Cameron posed with his then fiancee Samantha Sheffield - a friend of the future Prime Minister's sister - in 1995 after the pair got engaged

Mr Cameron revealed his own softer side in an interview with Classic FM last night. 

The Prime Minister said his then girlfriend Samantha ‘didn’t absolutely leap’ at his offer of marriage. He proposed when he lived in Notting Hill and she had a place ‘just a few doors down’.

In the interview broadcast last night, he said: ‘Finding her and persuading her to marry me which was quite a challenge.’

He admitted: ‘She's a lot better looking. And yes when I first proposed she didn't absolutely leap at it. So it took a bit of…

Well it was rather an odd proposal. We were lying on the sofa watching a movie.

‘You know there had been lots of other opportunities for the romantic proposal and I'd sort of my nerves had failed me. And suddenly watching Mean Streets…’

Mr Cameron revealed that ‘reaches for the Kleenex’ when he hears ‘Edelweiss’ sung on the Sound of Music (pictured)

Mr Cameron revealed that ‘reaches for the Kleenex’ when he hears ‘Edelweiss’ sung on the Sound of Music (pictured)

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls last year took his children on a Sound of Music tour in Austria - and has admitted regularly blubbing at the film

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls last year took his children on a Sound of Music tour in Austria - and has admitted regularly blubbing at the film

The Prime Minister said the couple watch the Sound of Music most Christmases and admitted his emotions often got the better of him.

He said: ‘Well I do cry in films actually. I mean The Sound of Music, I mean if I watch it…I mean I watch that most Christmas or New Year when it comes around and soon as we get on Edelweiss I'm reaching for the Kleenex.

‘So I'm trying to think of good films I've seen recently. Actually I thought the Tom Hanks film: Saving Mr Banks, I thought Emma Thompson's performance, when she's recalling her own father and the alcoholism and you know.

‘But this tragic case, and definitely, Samantha and I were watching it and we both had a lump came to the throat.’

The PM also revealed how he found ‘comfort’ in his faith when his son Ivan died, confiding in his local vicar. He said that it helped to ‘talk to someone and have somewhere to pray. 

Mr Cameron also revealed that despite the two throwing barbs at each other in recent weeks, he and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg have played tennis together. On both occasions the PM won.