Why Queen Elizabeth Told Friends Kate Middleton Was a "Problem" Early in Romance With Prince William
The late monarch allegedly had "no idea what Kate actually does."
After marrying Prince William on April 29, 2011, Kate Middleton appeared to develop a strong relationship with her husband's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. However, several royal experts have suggested that the late Queen shared some concerns about Princess Kate with friends, and allegedly went so far as to say she had a "Kate problem."
Royal expert Katie Nicholl discussed Queen Elizabeth II's viewpoint in the book William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls. "If Kate was not with William at Balmoral then the couple were skiing or holidaying on Mustique," Nicholl explained (via the Daily Mail). "Kate was there so often the press dubbed her Queen of Mustique, a title that had previously belonged to Princess Margaret."
As a result, the late monarch was allegedly concerned about the optics regarding Princess Kate, with Nicholl writing, "Such frivolous displays of wealth were unpalatable to [Queen Elizabeth]."
Queen Elizabeth allegedly shared some concerns about Princess Kate with friends.
Queen Elizabeth was apparently so concerned about Kate that she wanted Prince William to wait before proposing marriage. "The Queen believed an announcement should be postponed until Kate was settled in a career," Nicholl explained. According to the royal expert, an "insider" 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."
Queen Elizabeth reportedly wanted Kate Middleton to develop a career.
The Mail on Sunday (via the Daily Mail) quoted a senior royal aide who allegedly told them, "The Queen has had conversations with a few trusted friends about how to tackle what is being called the Kate problem."
Per the outlet, the aide suggested that the late monarch believed Princess Kate was "a nice enough girl," but Elizabeth had "no idea what Kate actually does."
Essentially, it seems as though Queen Elizabeth wanted Princess Kate to be "in a stable job" by the time Prince William proposed to her, per the Daily Mail.
Of course, the Princess of Wales did have two jobs prior to marrying Prince William. She worked for the Middleton family business, Party Pieces, before securing a part-time role with womenswear brand Jigsaw, where she worked as an accessories buyer.
