Liam Neeson’s Son Daniel Gets Engaged to His Longtime Girlfriend Natalie Ackerman

The "Taken" star's son popped the big question in a romantic grand gesture over the weekend. He shared that he saw his late mother — who died when he was just a pre-teen — in his fiancée.

Daniel Neeson, son of actor Liam Neeson and late actress Natasha Richardson, is ready for the next step in his relationship. The 29-year-old businessman proposed to his longtime girlfriend of eight years, Natalie Ackerman, this past Saturday, September 6.

He asked for her hand in marriage during a romantic sailboat cruise in New York City. PEOPLE obtained photos of the couple's special moment that captured Daniel slipping a diamond engagement band onto Natalie's finger.

"Yesterday I got to ask my best friend to join me on this journey called life," Daniel told the publication. "I could write novels on why I love Natalie, but there's something deeper, something so cosmic about our relationship that I know we're meant to be in this universe together."

"I see my mother in Nat, I see life in Nat, and reality just got a whole lot sweeter with a ring on it," Daniel added. "Love wins!" Daniel's mother, Natasha, died at age 45 following a skiing accident in 2009. She left behind Daniel, his father Liam, and his older brother, Micheál.

Following the proposal, Daniel and Natalie jointly announced their engagement on Instagram and later celebrated with an engagement party with friends. The couple first began dating in 2017. They both graduated from Tulane University in 2019 and have since built successful corporate careers.