Prince William is celebrating his 43rd birthday today, June 21, with wife Kate Middleton and their three children. Kate, who has been married to Prince William for 14 years, reportedly shared a “grandmotherly” bond with his grandmother, late Queen Elizabeth II, and considered her “a gentle guide”. Even before the couple got engaged, Queen Elizabeth was not afraid to point out things in Kate’s life that she felt required attention, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Prince William and his family are celebrating the Prince of Wales’ 43rd birthday on Saturday, June 21. AP/PTI(AP06_16_2025_000342A)(AP) Late Queen’s ‘stinging’ advice to Kate Middleton
According to Royal Family correspondent Katie Nicholl, Queen Elizabeth remained concerned about Kate not having a stable job. If the two of them were not at Balmoral, then they were probably “skiing or holidaying on Mustique.”
“Kate was there so often the press dubbed her Queen of Mustique, a title that had previously belonged to Princess Margaret,” Nicholl said.
This was the time when people back home struggled through recession, while William and Kate enjoyed their island life, the Royal author noted, adding that such “frivolous displays of wealth were unpalatable to the Queen.”
Further, she claimed that although the world speculated that an engagement was on the horizon for the two of them, the Queen felt that the “announcement should be postponed until Kate was settled in a career.”
What Queen Elizabeth II told Prince William
Back then, an insider said that the Queen had an opinion that if Kate is to be William’s consort one day, then she needs a “proper job.”
The sources added that the Queen even held conversations with “few trusted friends” regarding how they could tackle what was called “the Kate problem”.
In June 2008, Kate used to work for her parents’ mail-order company, Party Pieces. Later on, she worked at Jigsaw, owned by her parents’ close friends. But she quit the job in less than a year.
This was when the Queen’s words ‘stung’ Kate, said Nicholl, adding that the advice could have been the making of her.
FAQs1. How old was Prince William when Princess Diana died?
William was 15 when she died in a car accident in August 1997.
2. Why did Prince William lose his hair so fast?
As per reports, his baldness is due to the common genetic condition called male pattern baldness.
3. What will Prince William be called when he is king?
If he decides to keep his given name, then he will officially be known as “King William V”.