Back in the summer of 2009, The Black Eyed Peas had a hit with I Gotta Feeling, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince was showing in cinemas and the world was in shock over the death of Michael Jackson.
But for Kate Middleton, who was 27 at the time, it was a ‘difficult period’ as her university friends were getting married and there was much talk about her future marital status.
Royal biographer Katie Nicholl wrote in The Making Of A Royal Romance: ‘William had signed up for 18 months of training with the RAF and there was simply no time to even think about a wedding.
‘Although they managed to see each other most weekends, their time together was fleeting.’
Meanwhile, Kate had been dubbed ‘Waity Kaity by the media and was dividing her time between her flat in London and her parents’ Berkshire home.
Perhaps it was salt in the wound when one of her best friends got married in May as Kate and William pulled out at the last minute, causing speculation among their friends.
Kate was said to be dreading the inevitable ‘When will you two be next?’ question.
But her spirits had been lifted when a vacancy popped up at Harrods, owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, father of Dodie, who had been romantically involved with Princess Diana at the time of their deaths in Paris in 1997.
Kate Middleton, who was 27 at the time, was in a ‘difficult period’ as her university friends were getting married and there was much talk about her future marital status
Prince William and Kate saw each other most weekends while William was training in the RAF. They are pictured at a polo match in May 2009
Prince William signed up for 18 months of training at RAF Shawbury in 2009
Nicholl wrote: ‘She had a contact at Harrods, who told her there was a vacancy for a buyer’s assistant in the fashion department.
‘Kate had always wanted a job in fashion, and was keen to pursue this new opportunity.’
A senior source told Nicholl: ‘It was discussed. Kate is a regular shopper at Harrods and the chairman [Al-Fayed] had an idea to approach her to do something, but it never came to anything.’
The royal author continued: ‘The Knightsbridge store is owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who has installed a shrine to his son Dodie and Diana in the lower ground floor of the store, and according to sources close to Kate she was worried the job could turn into a potential PR disaster.’
And it seems this was for the best, because in 2023, historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al-Fayed – dubbed The Monster of Harrods – came to light.
It was around this time that the Queen gave some stinging advice to Kate.
In her book, William And Harry: Behind the Palace Walls, Nicholl wrote that the Queen was concerned about Kate’s lack of a stable job and the number of holidays she was taking in her book.
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.’
Royal biographer Katie Nicholl wrote in The Making Of A Royal Romance: ‘William had signed up for 18 months of training with the RAF and there was simply no time to even think about a wedding’
Kate’s spirits had been lifted when a vacancy popped up at Harrods, owned Mohamed Al-Fayed, father of Dodie
Kate had been dubbed ‘Waity Kaity’ by the media and was dividing her time between her flat in London and her parents’ Berkshire home
One insider told Nicholl that ‘it is Her Majesty’s opinion that if Kate is one day going to be William’s consort, then she needs a proper job.’
MailOnline reported at the time that sources close to the Queen said she was acutely aware that William’s public image could suffer if his girlfriend were not recognised as a working professional in her own right.
‘The Queen has had conversations with a few trusted friends about how to tackle what is being called the Kate problem,’ a senior aide told The Mail on Sunday.
‘On the few occasions the Queen has met Kate, she has thought she is a nice enough girl. But the Queen has admitted she has no idea what Kate actually does.
‘Privately, she is very concerned about what the repercussions could be if Kate is not in a stable job as and when William is ready to propose.’
When she left St Andrews with a 2:1 in art history, Kate attempted to set up her own children’s clothing line as a subsidiary to her parents’ mail-order company, Party Pieces. But she was forced to close it before it launched for financial reasons.
She then got a job as an accessories buyer at Jigsaw, but quit in 2007.
By June 2008, Kate was working for her parents’ company, Party Pieces.
Kate and her sister Pippa Middleton (left) sip champagne with friends, Thomas Van Straubenzee and Melissa ‘Missy’ Percy, at the Audi Polo Challenge Polo in May 2009
Biographer Nicholl wrote: ‘Kate had a contact at Harrods, who told her there was a vacancy for a buyer’s assistant in the fashion department’
Kate (pictured in September 2009) worked for her parents’ mail-order company, Party Pieces
Wedding fever! William and Hugh van Cutsem attend the wedding of Nicholas van Cutsem and Alice Hadden-Paton on August 14, 2009
In Nicholl’s book Kate: The Future Queen, a family friend tells how Kate’s mother, Carole, expressed her fears to William that he had not proposed.
But he assured her that not only would there be an engagement and subsequent marriage, the couple hoped to have children – and he promised Carole that she would be fully involved in their upbringing.
From the beginning, William had made it clear that he would not rush into marriage.
Back in March 2005, Kate had been invited to Klosters with the royals where William gave an interview to the press during an arranged photocall at the Swiss ski resort.
The 22-year-old reportedly blushed when he was asked about his long-term girlfriend Kate and said he was lucky to have a close circle of trusted friends.
He said: ‘Look, I’m only 22 for God’s sake. I’m too young to marry at my age.
‘I don’t want to get married until I’m at least 28 or maybe 30.’
From the beginning, William had made it clear that he would not rush into marriage
William with his flying instructor Craig Finch at Royal Air Force Shawbury, in Shrewsbury, where he was based for his military helicopter training in June 2009
In December 2006, Kate and her mother attended Sandhurst to watch Prince William receive his army commission, which sparked a frenzy of engagement rumours.
Woolworths even commissioned its own range of memorabilia in anticipation of the event. These included traditional china plates, thimbles, mouse mats and even Wills and Kate shaped pick-and-mix sweets.
Sadly, Woolworths went out of business in January 2009, before the engagement was announced.
But according to Nicholl, it was senior royals who told William to take the relationship steady.
She wrote: ‘William had been having second thoughts and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank discussion about his future with Kate.
‘Both advised him not to hurry into anything.’
After dating for nearly a decade, William finally proposed in October 2010, in a cabin roughly 11,000ft above sea level on the side of Mount Kenya in Africa.
Kate and William announced their engagement on November 16, 2010, before tying the knot in April 2011
The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey with 2,000 guests and 2.6billion people around the world watching on television
William had been carrying his late mother’s engagement ring in his backpack for three weeks before giving it to Kate.
True to his prediction, he would later marry Kate Middleton two months before his 29th birthday.
They announced their engagement to the public on November 16, 2010, before tying the knot in April 2011.
The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey with 2,000 guests and 2.6billion people around the world watching on television
At the time, People called it the ‘greatest and grandest royal affair’ since Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding.
Looking back now, that long, hot summer of 2009 must feel like a lifetime ago to Kate.
Kate Middleton’s pre-royal CV
Before joining the Royal Family when she wed Prince William in 2011, the future Queen worked in a series of surprisingly normal jobs.
Ahead of going to university, teenage Kate took on some ‘back breaking work’, earning a pittance as a deckhand in Southampton.
And after leaving education, she famously worked in fashion, taking on a role as an accessory buyer for high street brand Jigsaw.
Her final foray into the world of work ahead of joining the royals was working for her family business, Party Pieces.
‘Back-breaking work’ as a deckhand in Southampton
Kate’s first job was as a deckhand at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton. She is pictured in Cowes in 2019 after she married Prince William
One of the first jobs the now-Princess of Wales is known to have worked at sounds like a surprisingly hands-on role for the royal.
Ahead of going to university in Scotland (where she famously met her husband-to-be ), like many others her age, Kate took on low-paid work.
Over a four-month period, she worked as a deckhand at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton.
One of the skippers Kate worked under at the time, Cal Tomlinson, spoke to author Katie Nicholl for her biography Kate: The Future Queen.
He said: ‘It was back-breaking work. Kate mucked in and was very professional. She fitted right in, although she did stand out for being so pretty.
‘She spoke well, she was very attractive, and she an air about her. She was competent and confident but very unassuming.
‘She was polite and respectful to whoever was in charge of her and neat as a pin. She was never wore any make-up; she was naturally beautiful.’
A ‘terrible’ waitress during her university days
Like many other students, Kate – pictured in London in 2019 – once took on a waitressing job, admitting in 2019 she was ‘terrible’
These days, Kate has the means to be waited on if she likes, but this was not always the case.
Like many other students, Kate took on some waitressing while she was at university.
It was during the 2019 broadcast of Christmas TV special A Berry Royal Christmas, that the princess opened up about her hospitality experience to show host Mary Berry.
During one segment, Mary prepared a non-alcoholic cocktail, which she then passed to Kate to take over to guests.
This prompted Kate to quip: ‘Reminds me of my university days when I did a bit of waitressing.’
When Mary asked if she was good at the job, Kate responded very honestly.
She laughed, and replied: ‘No, I was terrible!’
First foray into the world of fashion
Kate Middleton and her mother Carole visit The Spirit Of Christmas shopping festival at London’s Olympia
After leaving university, Kate landed a job with a major fashion chain.
At the age of 24, she took on a role as an accessory buyer for high street brand Jigsaw around the end of 2006.
Speaking to confirm the appointment, a Jigsaw spokesperson said at the time: ‘We can confirm that Kate joined our staff two or three weeks ago as an accessory buyer for Jigsaw and Jigsaw Junior. We can’t comment any further.’
According to reports, the future Queen had already helped out the brand at a fashion shoot, where she ran errands, fetching cups of tea and snacks.
When Kate was hired by Jigsaw, it was owned by fashion tycoons John and Belle Robinson – close family friends of the Middleton’s.
At the time, the appointment was described as a major coup for Jigsaw, having the woman who was expected to marry the future king among its staff.
Although she left the brand in 2007, to go and work for her family business Party Pieces, the Princess of Wales still appears to be a fan, and has been spotted wearing items of its clothing in recent years.
Working for the family business
Carole and Kate Middleton are pictured shopping in Chelsea in November 2006
After leaving her role at Jigsaw, Kate went on to work for her parents’ business, Party Pieces.
The party decoration supplier is owned by Kate’s mother Carole Middleton. It was founded in 1987 when Carole was looking for inspiration for her daughter Kate’s fifth birthday party.
She realised there was a gap in the market and set up the company that offers time-pressed parents an easy choice of imaginative parties for their children.
While it may have started as a tiny operation working from the Middletons’ kitchen table, it is now a much larger business employing some 40 people and working internationally.
The brand’s best-selling Party Pieces Collection features products such as plates, napkins, cups, hats, balloons, treat stands and decorations.
All three of her children have worked for it at some point, with Kate joining in 2007, after leaving her job at Jigsaw.
Her role, according to reports, included working as a website designer and photographer for the business.
She left Party Pieces in January 2011, ahead of her April wedding to Prince William.
A royal aide confirmed her departure from the company, saying she was planning to ‘concentrate full-time on preparing to become a member of the Royal Family’.
