Lifestyle

Queen Elizabeth wanted Kate Middleton to take up a job

23 Aug 2023

The British royal family attends 'Trooping of Colours' ceremony from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Gulf Today Report

During the early years of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s relationship, the late Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly upset with the number of vacations the Princess of Wales took.

The new detail is revealed in royal expert Katie Nicholl’s book William and Harry, according to the New York Post. Although the pair was engaged in 2010 and then married in 2011, Queen Elizabeth allegedly thought it would be a better use of Middleton’s time to get a job rather than go island hopping.

These allegedly frequent trips were to the Caribbean island of Mustique, part of the country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Nicholl’s wrote in her book: “If [Middleton] was not with William at Balmoral then the couple were skiing or holidaying on Mustique.”

“Kate was there so often the press dubbed her ‘Queen of Mustique,’ a title that had previously belonged to Princess Margaret,” the book continued, a reference to Elizabeth’s younger sister, Princess Margaret.

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Nicholls added that, because the trips coincided with the 2008 recession, the late Queen wasn’t happy to see the couple constantly on lavish vacations. “Such frivolous displays of wealth were unpalatable to the Queen,” she wrote.

“While the rest of the world speculated that an engagement was on the horizon for William and Kate, the Queen believed an announcement should be postponed until Kate was settled in a career.”

At the time, a source close to the royal family specifically told the author, “It is Her Majesty’s opinion that if Kate is one day going to be William’s consort, then she needs a proper job.”

Prior to a relationship with William, Kate had worked multiple jobs, including doing the marketing for her parent’s events supplies company, Party Pieces. She was also an accessories buyer for the clothing brand Jigsaw Junior.

However, as Nicholl’s writes, “swanning from one five-star holiday resort to another is not the prerequisite for a young woman possibly destined to be queen”.

According to the author, these words “stung” Kate to hear.

The Princess of Wales was recently named the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, and the Royal Honorary Air Commodore of the Royal Air Force Coningsby.

Her husband had been the last person to have been appointed to the role, but it is particularly special to Kate’s family, as her grandfather Captain Peter Middleton served in the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The rearranging of military roles comes less than one month before the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement this week: “Following his Majesty’s Accession, the King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working members of the royal family. The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the royal family in His Majesty’s reign.”

Prince William has also been given three new appointments, which include Colonel-in-Chief, The Mercian Regiment; Colonel-in-Chief, The Army Air Corps; and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Valley.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Buckingham Palace as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales for comment.