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While Kate Middleton recently took on a new role, as the Princess of Wales, not all of her previous occupations have been quite as lofty.
Before joining the Firm in 2011, when she married Prince William, the future Queen worked a series of surprisingly ordinary jobs.
Before going to university, teenager Kate took on a “backbreaking job” and earned a pittance as a sailor in Southampton.
And after leaving school, she worked in fashion, taking on a role as an accessories buyer for the Jigsaw trademark. Her last foray into the world of work before joining the royals was working for her family business, Party Pieces.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the jobs Kate Middleton took on before she became a royal…
‘Backyard job’ as a sailor in Southampton
The Princess of Wales’s first job was practical, as a deckhand at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton. Pictured in Cowes in 2019 after marrying Prince William
One of the first jobs the now-Princess of Wales is known to have worked on sounds like a surprisingly practical role for royalty.
Before going to university in Scotland (where she met her future husband, Prince William), like many others her age, Kate took on a low-paying job.
For a period of four months, he worked as a deckhand at Ocean Village Marina in Southampton.
One of the employers Kate was working with at the time, Cal Tomlinson, spoke to author Katie Nicholl for her biography Kate: The Future Queen.
He said: ‘It was exhausting work. Kate stepped in and was very professional. She fit the bill perfectly, although she stood out for being very pretty.
She spoke well, was very attractive, and had an air. She was competent and confident, but very modest.
“She was polite and respectful of whoever was in charge of her and neat as a pin. She never put on makeup; she was naturally beautiful.’
A ‘terrible’ waitress during her university years
Like many other students, Kate once took a waitressing job, admitting in 2019 that it was “terrible.” Photographed in London in 2019
These days, Kate has the means to be waited on hand and foot if she wants, but that wasn’t always the case.
Like many other students, Kate became a waitress while in college.
It was during the 2019 broadcast of the A Berry Royal Christmas television special that the princess opened up about her hospitality experience to show host Mary Berry.
During one segment, Mary made a mocktail, which she then passed to Kate to take out to the guests.
This prompted Kate to quip, “It reminds me of my college days when I did a bit of waitressing.”
When asked by Mary if she was good at work, Kate answered very honestly.
She laughed and replied, ‘No, I was terrible!’
First foray into the world of fashion
After leaving university, Kate, who was then the girlfriend of Prince William, got a job with a major fashion chain.
At the age of 24, she took on the role of an accessory buyer for the Jigsaw trademark in late 2006.
Speaking to confirm the appointment, a Jigsaw spokesperson said at the time: “We can confirm that Kate joined our staff two to three weeks ago as an accessory buyer for Jigsaw and Jigsaw Junior. We cannot comment further.
The queen-to-be had reportedly already assisted the brand in a fashion photo shoot, where she ran errands, bringing cups of tea and snacks.
When Kate was hired by Jigsaw, it was owned by fashion moguls John and Belle Robinson, close family friends of the Middletons.
At the time, the appointment was described as a major blow to Jigsaw, as he had on his staff the woman who was expected to marry the future king.
Although she left the brand in 2007 to work at her family business, Party Pieces, the Princess of Wales still seems to be a fan, and has been seen wearing pieces of her clothing in recent years.
Working for the family business
The Princess of Wales, pictured with her sister Pippa and mother Carole Middleton in 2011, also helped her parents run the family business, Party Pieces, when she was younger.
After leaving her position at Jigsaw, Kate went on to work for her parents’ business, Party Pieces.
The party decoration vendor is owned by Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton. It was founded in 1987 when Carole was looking for inspiration for her daughter Kate’s fifth birthday party.
Realizing there was a gap in the market, he created the company that offers time-pressed parents an easy option for imaginative parties for their children.
While it may have started as a small operation working out of the Middletons’ kitchen table, it is now a much larger business employing around 40 people and working internationally.
The brand’s best-selling Party Pieces collection includes products such as plates, napkins, cups, hats, balloons, treat holders and decorations.
All three of her children have worked for it at some point, and Kate joined in 2007, after leaving her job at Jigsaw.
Her role reportedly included working as a website designer and photographer for the company.
She left Party Pieces in January 2011, ahead of her April wedding to Prince William.
A royal aide confirmed his departure from the company, saying he planned to “focus full-time on preparing to become a member of the royal family.”