The Height of Romance, As Cruise Pops the Question

It has been the archetypal city for lovers since the ill-fated entanglement of Abelard and Heloise in the 12th century.

And yesterday morning Tom Cruise became the latest romantic to succumb to the charms of the city, proposing to his girlfriend, Katie Holmes, on the top platform of the Eiffel Tower.

In Paris to promote the French release of Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, Cruise announced to a press conference that he was engaged.

"It was early this morning at the Eiffel Tower, so I haven't slept at all. It's very exciting and very beautiful," he said.

Holmes, 26, is 16 years younger than the actor and had his poster pinned on her bedroom wall while she was growing up. She sat in the second row, sporting a large diamond ring.

Asked why he had chosen the Eiffel Tower to pop the question, Cruise, who was married to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman before consorting more recently with Penelope Cruz, said: "I've never been there. It's Paris, it's a beautiful city. It's very romantic."

According to the city's tourist board - who may be biased - Paris remains Europe's premier destination for trysting couples. "Paris is love, isn't it, really?" a spokeswoman said. "Especially for Americans."

Cruise, who hit the Hollywood big time with Top Gun, has since appeared in a series of top-grossing films and is said to command fees of over $20m (£10.9m) a movie, added that the couple had not yet set a date for the wedding.

"We haven't discussed that. One step at a time," he said.

Holmes, who has drawn criticism for embracing her new fiance's religion of Scientology, is in Europe promoting her latest movie, Batman Begins.

Cruise has been nominated for two best actor Academy Awards, in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, and one best supporting actor Oscar in Magnolia.

Holmes, who starred in the TV series Dawson's Creek, was previously engaged to the actor Chris Klein.