Kate's 'Difficult' Summer: From 'Waity Kaity' to Harrods Job Prospect

The Royal Romance: A Tale of Delayed Engagement, Media Scrutiny, and a Pinch of Controversy

It's been over a decade since Kate Middleton, then 27 years old, was at the center of a media frenzy as she waited for Prince William to propose. The summer of 2009 was a pivotal moment in their relationship, marked by whispers of an impending engagement, speculation about her career choices, and even a potential PR disaster.

As royal biographer Katie Nicholl revealed in her book "The Making Of A Royal Romance," Kate's university friends were getting married left and right, putting pressure on the couple to tie the knot. But William had other plans. With 18 months of RAF training ahead, he couldn't possibly consider marriage – at least, not yet.

Their time together was fleeting, with William away for long stretches, leaving Kate to ponder her future marital status. The media, never ones to miss a beat, dubbed her "Waity Kaity," fueling speculation about when the couple would finally make it official.

But little did they know, Kate had bigger fish to fry. A vacancy at Harrods, owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed – the father of Dodi Fayed and a man with a reputation for being quite... colorful – caught her eye. The job, as a buyer's assistant in the fashion department, seemed like the perfect fit for Kate's passion for style.

However, according to Nicholl, the Harrods offer was short-lived. A senior source close to Kate revealed that the chairman, Al-Fayed, had indeed approached her about the position, but it never came to fruition. It seems this was a blessing in disguise, given the controversy that would later surround Al-Fayed – dubbed "The Monster of Harrods" for his alleged involvement in a string of historic allegations.

As Kate navigated the complexities of royal life, she faced scrutiny from none other than Her Majesty the Queen herself. In Nicholl's book, the monarch expressed her concerns about Kate's lack of a stable job and her frequent holidays. The Queen believed that if Kate were to become William's consort one day, she should have a "proper" job – a sentiment echoed by sources close to the palace.

"It is Her Majesty's opinion that if Kate is one day going to be William's consort, then she needs a proper job," said a senior aide. "The Queen has had conversations with a few trusted friends about how to tackle what is being called the Kate problem."

But Kate wasn't without her own ambitions. After leaving St Andrews with a 2:1 in art history, she attempted to set up her own children's clothing line as a subsidiary of her parents' mail-order company, Party Pieces. Unfortunately, it folded before launch due to financial constraints.

Undeterred, Kate landed a job as an accessories buyer at Jigsaw, but quit in 2007. By June 2008, she was back working for her parents' company – a decision that might have been influenced by the Queen's words of wisdom.

As the months dragged on, Kate's mother, Carole, reportedly expressed her fears to William about his delayed proposal. But he reassured her that an engagement and subsequent marriage were indeed on the horizon, along with a family of their own. He even promised Carole that she would be fully involved in the upbringing of their children.

However, it seemed that senior royals had other ideas. Nicholl wrote that William's father and grandmother advised him to take things slowly, warning against rushing into marriage. It was only after nearly a decade of dating that William finally proposed to Kate in October 2010 – in a romantic cabin high above sea level on Mount Kenya.

The proposal was a sentimental one, with William carrying his late mother's engagement ring in his backpack for three weeks before presenting it to Kate. True to his prediction, he would marry her two months shy of his 29th birthday.

Their wedding, held at Westminster Abbey in April 2011, was a grand affair, watched by an estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide. It marked the beginning of a new era for the Royal Family – one that would be filled with love, laughter, and perhaps a pinch of controversy.

As we look back on that long, hot summer of 2009, it's clear that Kate Middleton was not just waiting patiently for Prince William to propose – she was also forging her own path, navigating the complexities of royal life with courage and determination.