Did The Queen Have Concerns About Kate Middleton Marrying Prince William?

Kate Middleton dated Prince William on and off for eight years before he finally proposed in 2010, earning the Duchess of Cambridge the nickname "Waity Katie" from the British press (via Glamour). But throughout that time, she proved herself to be a loyal girlfriend to the future king of England, which is why it's surprising that Queen Elizabeth reportedly had doubts about the union before their engagement.

According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, while the queen liked Kate, she was concerned that Middleton didn't have her own career before she and William got engaged. "Privately she had grave concerns and believed that Kate needed to have a job and an identity in her own right before an engagement was announced," Nicholls wrote in her book "The Making of a Royal Romance" (via Mirror). 

As royal correspondent Phil Dampier told Express, "There was a phase where she appeared to be doing very little really. The Queen once remarked Kate doesn't do very much so I think she had a fairly long entrance to the royal family."

While Queen Elizabeth might have had concerns about Kate Middleton's work ethic before she married Prince William, the queen's worries have proven to be unfounded. In fact, Middleton is one of the busiest members of the royal family. Not only is she the mother of three young children — George, Charlotte, and Louis — but she performs a variety of royal duties both in the U.K. and abroad. 

In addition, Middleton co-founded two organizations with her husband: the Royal Foundation, which provides grants to various charities, including those that help new mothers, children and first responders; and Heads Together, which seeks to assist those struggling with mental health issues. 

And in June 2021, Middleton announced the launch of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. "The Center hopes to raise awareness of why the first five years of life are just so important for our future life outcomes, and what we can do as a society to embrace this golden opportunity to create a happier or mentally healthy, more nurturing society," she said (per Harper's Bazaar). "By working together, my hope is that we can change the way we think about early childhood and transform lives for generations to come. Because I truly believe, big change starts small."