Kate was victim of 'cruel condom prank' during 'back-breaking' summer job

02 August 2023 , 06:00

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Kate was victim of 'cruel condom prank' during 'back-breaking' summer job

Her summers as the Princess of Wales might now consist of sun-soaked summer getaways and Royal Family gatherings at Balmoral.

But before she headed off to St Andrews University where she met her future husband, Prince William, Kate was keen to earn some extra cash. And like many students waiting to start their higher education studies, she got a summer job.

But rather than wait tables or stack shelves like many keen young teenagers, Kate's job was slightly more unusual - and apparently consisted of "back-breaking" work out on the open water, where she got to indulge in her hobby of sailing.

Kate had an unusual summer job before university (Getty Images)

That's because according to the book Kate: The Future Queen by Katie Nicholl, she was based in Southampton working as a deckhand on a fleet of Challenger yachts. According to Cal Tomlinson, one of the skippers Kate worked under, she "mucked in", "was very professional" and was "confident but very assuming".

But despite the seemingly hard work, it appears that some of Kate's former colleagues liked to have fun, and even played a prank at her expense. Among her duties was giving clients a safety demonstration that involved Kate showing guests how the vessel's life jackets worked.

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However, according to Cal, one day her ex-teammates stitched her up during the demonstration - but the future Queen remained ever the professional. He said in the book: "When she pulled the toggle, the thing inflated and a load of condoms fell out.

"She was mortified and very embarrassed. She took it more seriously than the others might have, but she wasn't thrown off her stride. She was angry at first, but she settled down, and I don't remember her ever getting them back."

Kate taking part in a sailing regatta in the Bahamas last year (Getty Images)

And it seems that Kate isn't the only royal to have had a previous summer job, as last year it was revealed that Lady Louise Windsor was also earning pocket money before starting university by working in a garden centre. She is said to have earned £6.83 an hour by working on the tills, greeting and assisting customers and pruning and potting plants with shoppers praising her for being "polite and attentive" in her role.

One customer described her shock at seeing a granddaughter of the late Queen at work, saying she served him at a till. They told the Sun: "I couldn’t believe it was Lady Louise — I had to look twice. She is a really modest and sweet young woman who is polite and attentive to customers. She seemed to be loving the job. You’d never imagine the Queen’s granddaughter would take on a role working behind a till."

Jennifer Newton