Long before meeting and marrying Prince William, the Princess of Wales worked as a deckhand at Southampton’s Ocean Village Marina.
But, rather than waiting tables or stacking shelves like many other eager young teenagers, Kate’s work was a little different: she got to sail. Cleaning the decks, greeting tourists, and giving safety demonstrations were all part of her duties.
As per an Express report, Kate was taken entirely by surprise one day when staff rigged her life vest with condoms to completely cover her when she pulled on the lever. Kate, who was much younger at the time, was left “very embarrassed” after the incident occurred while she was giving a safety presentation in front of startled guests.
According to Cal Tomlinson, one of Kate’s skippers, her ex-teammates stitched her up during the one such demonstration – but the future Queen remained professional. “When she pulled the toggle, the thing inflated and a load of condoms fell out,” he said in his book. She felt mortified and humiliated. She took it more seriously than the others, but she wasn’t knocked off guard. She was upset at first, but she eventually calmed down, and I don’t recall her ever receiving them back.”
Kate met William in 2001 at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, and eventually married him.
It appears that Kate was not the only member of the Family who worked before becoming a princess. It was reported last year that Lady Louise Windsor earned her pocket money before university by working in a garden centre.