This week, the British press has reopened an unexpected chapter about the relationship between Elizabeth II and Kate Middleton, recalling a key piece of advice. The then-young couple of William was beginning their journey into royal life under the watchful eye of the monarch. The late monarch's warning would mark a turning point in their trajectory.
Over the years, Kate Middleton has confessed on several occasions how much she learned from the queen. However, behind that close bond there were initial doubts and warnings. What did Elizabeth II say to Kate before she became a princess?
Elizabeth II's advice to Kate Middleton before marrying William
To understand the scope of this revelation, it is worth going back to the early years of Kate and William's relationship. After meeting at the University of St Andrews, the couple became the center of attention. The expectation for a royal engagement was growing, but not everyone viewed it with enthusiasm.
In 2016, on the occasion of Elizabeth II's 90th birthday, Kate paid tribute to her grandmother-in-law in a documentary. There, she acknowledged that the queen had been a silent support, accompanying her from a distance in the early stages of her marriage. That acknowledgment showed a complicity forged over time, but it also concealed the cautious beginning of their relationship.
Royal expert Richard Kay, quoted by the Daily Mail, explained that the queen always took her time to trust someone. "The queen came to trust Kate. I don't think she really trusted anyone at first sight, but with Kate, the relationship deepened; there was a true affection between the two," he said.
That bond, however, was not free from warnings at the beginning. The revelation about Elizabeth II's advice focuses on the years before the engagement, when Kate was known as "William's girlfriend." According to journalist Katie Nicholl, author of William and Harry, the queen was concerned about the young woman's public image.
In the midst of a recession in the United Kingdom, getaways to exotic destinations did not go unnoticed. Kate often accompanied William on trips to places like Mustique, a Caribbean island that had been Princess Margaret's refuge.
"If Kate wasn't with William at Balmoral, the couple were skiing or on vacation in Mustique," Nicholl recounted. So much so that the media even nicknamed her the "Queen of Mustique".
These displays of luxurious living did not please the sovereign, who feared the effect on public opinion. The queen believed that the relationship should not move toward an official engagement until Kate showed a more defined role. It was then that, according to Nicholl, she conveyed a message: "If Kate was ever going to be the consort of Prince William, then she needs a proper job."
The professional path Kate Middleton undertook after Elizabeth II's warning
The warning did not fall on deaf ears, since, shortly after graduating in art history, Kate Middleton began a working stage that sought to project her independence. In 2006, she joined the British fashion company Jigsaw as an accessories buyer. A company spokesperson confirmed her hiring: "We can confirm that Kate joined our staff two or three weeks ago as an accessories buyer for Jigsaw and Jigsaw Junior."
In addition to that position, she also collaborated in the family business Party Pieces, dedicated to selling party supplies. Her work experience, although brief, was interpreted as a response to the queen's concern. The intention was clear: to show that Kate could be recognized as a professional before making the leap to royalty.
She herself acknowledged that during her university years she worked as a waitress, a job she described as "terrible." Even so, those work experiences, together with her academic training, helped strengthen her public image at a decisive moment.
The warning Elizabeth II gave Kate Middleton before marrying William proved key in her development as a future princess. That conversation, focused on the need to have a job, strengthened her public image at a decisive moment. Today, Elizabeth II's legacy lives on in the way Kate faces her role as Princess of Wales.