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It really goes without saying, but Kate Middleton has totally blossomed into her role as a senior member of the royal family over the course of the last decade. The Duchess of Cambridge has really stepped up and taken on new responsibilities as the monarchy ushers in a new era. But prior to Kate and Prince William’s 2011 wedding, Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly slightly concerned about her future granddaughter-in-law’s lifestyle.
Prior to their wedding, William and Kate often took trips together, something the long-reigning sovereign began to scrutinize. “If she was not with William at Balmoral then the couple were skiing or holidaying on Mustique,” royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in her 2010 book William & Harry, per the Mirror. “Kate was there so often the press dubbed her ‘Queen of Mustique,’ a title that had previously belonged to Princess Margaret.” Nicholl notes that, at the time, “Britain was now in a recession and such frivolous displays of wealth were unpalatable to the Queen.” In short, Queen Elizabeth was a bit nervous.
Kate Middleton reportedly has a case of baby fever and it's causing unease in her husband, Prince William. https://t.co/2Vv00Er0SK
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) February 24, 2022
“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,” Nicholl writes in her book. Nicholl even spoke with a source, who shared, “It is Her Majesty’s opinion that if Kate is one day going to be William’s consort, then she needs a proper job. Swanning from one five-star holiday resort to another is not the prerequisite for a young woman possibly destined to be Queen.”
Well, whether Kate received that direct message or not, she’s surely proven in the last decade that she is more than up to the task of taking on serious duties in the royal family. Just in the past few months, the Duchess of Cambridge went on a solo trip to Denmark and spearheaded a Christmas celebration at Westminster Abbey. Kate’s also grown even closer with Queen Elizabeth II over the last few years, proving that any concerns the monarch initially had about her granddaughter-in-law are a thing of the past.
William & Harry by Katie Nicholl
The world has come to know and love Princes William and Harry ever since they were little boys. But as young men, their respective trajectories in the royal family have changed, and royal expert Katie Nicholl knows this all too well. In William & Harry, Nicholl takes longtime royal fans past the palace walls into the lives (and loves) of two young princes — who will one day shape the future of the monarchy. This 2010 book includes insights from palace sources, anecdotes from the princes lives, and more. William & Harry would fit perfectly on the bookshelf of any royal fan.
Before you go, click here to see more of Kate Middleton’s best royal fashion moments.
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