06 March 2024 , 09:07
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She might be the future Queen, but the Princess of Wales had a surprisingly normal job before she joined the royal family.
Kate Middleton's life changed forever when she married Prince William back in 2011. The couple famously met at St Andrew's University and dated for almost a decade before getting engaged.
During that time, and following her graduation, Kate landed herself a job - but she had to make an unusual request from her employer due to her ongoing romance with William.
The Princess worked as an accessories buyer at the popular clothing store Jigsaw at their headquarters in Kew.
According to royal expert Rebecca English, Kate requested for the position to be part-time, since she was in a relationship with a "high profile man" at the time.
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Rebecca said: "She worked as an accessories buyer but interestingly, someone at the firm told me at the time she went to the boss and said to them, 'I need a job, but it needs to be part-time so I can work it around my relationship with this very high profile man'.
"That's quite unusual for a modern working woman. She did that job for a while, but unfortunately the attention of photographers following her to and from work became too much."
Kate is by no means the only royal to have had 'normal' employment before marrying a Prince. The Duchess of Edinburgh forged a career in public relations prior to her 1999 wedding to Prince Edward.
Sophie worked for a variety of firms, including four years at Capital Radio, where she was assigned to the press and promotions department, as well as public relations companies The Quentin Bell Organisation and MacLaurin Communications & Media.
She also worked as a ski representative in Switzerland and spent a year travelling and working in Australia. In 1996, Sophie launched her public relations agency, RJH Public Relations, which she ran with her business partner, Murray Harkin, for five years.
Queen Camilla was also employed before her marriage to King Charles in 2005. After finishing her education, first at Dumbrells School in Sussex and then at Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, she travelled abroad to go to Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland before studying French and French Literature at the Institut Britannique in Paris.
After her education, Camilla worked as a secretary for a variety of firms in London's West End and was later employed as a receptionist for the decorating firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler in Mayfair.