Cruise engaged to actress Holmes

Cruise on proposal

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has become engaged to his girlfriend Katie Holmes at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

"Today is a magnificent day for me, I'm engaged to a magnificent woman," he told reporters on Friday.

Dawson's Creek star Holmes, 26, was wearing a large diamond ring as she accompanied Cruise, who was promoting his film War of the Worlds in France.

Cruise, 42, was previously married to actresses Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, from whom he separated in 2001.

Cruise said on Friday: "Yes, I proposed to her. It was early this morning at the Eiffel Tower, so I haven't slept at all."

Something magnificent has happened to me and something extraordinary, and I'm so happy I just can't restrain myself Tom Cruise A whirlwind romance

Asked why he chose the famed Paris landmark, he replied: "I've never been to the Eiffel Tower. It's Paris, it's a beautiful city, it's very romantic."

When asked about the date of the wedding, Cruise said he was taking it "one step at a time but we'll decide it soon".

He did not answer reporters' further questions about wedding plans, saying they were up to Holmes' father to decide.

Holmes, who will be Cruise's third wife, starred in US TV series Dawson's Creek and films Wonder Boys, as well as the film Phone Booth and her latest movie Batman Begins.

Their spokesmen confirmed the pair were in a relationship in April.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise adopted two children while married

On Wednesday the actor dismissed media claims that the relationship was just a publicity stunt.

"I have to laugh. It's just ridiculous," he said at the European premiere of War of the Worlds in Berlin.

He spoke of how happy he was at their relationship, describing it as "magnificent".

Mission Impossible and Top Gun star Cruise split last year from actress Penelope Cruz, who he met on the set of Vanilla Sky. They had been together for three years.

He was married to Australian actress Kidman for more than 10 years. They adopted two children and share custody of them.

Holmes recently split with American Pie actor Chris Klein, calling off their engagement after five years together.