Before they were royal: see the jobs Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Queen Consort Camilla and more had
Danielle Stacey
Find out what Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Queen Consort Camilla and more were up to before they got married and became royal – from their jobs to their living arrangements
Just like us, some of the world famous faces started before meeting the royal love of their lives and getting married in monarchies!
We took a trip down memory lane to see what that is Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussexthe Queen Consort Camilla and more before finding their prince or princess and celebrating their fairytale weddings.
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The Princess of Wales
Kate, who married Prince William in 2011, is known for being a doting mother of three while maintaining a busy work schedule as a senior member of the British royal family. But the princess used to have normal 9 to 5 jobs.
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After working for her parents’ hugely successful party supply company, Kate became an accessories buyer for UK clothing chain Jigsaw. However, the publicity that came with being the girlfriend of the future British king got to be too much for Kate and she quit her job in 2006.
The Duchess of Sussex
Megan Marklewho earned a bachelor’s degree in theater and international studies from Northwestern University in Illinois in 2003, may have become famous because it was his turn suits from 2011 to 2018, but she was on the Hollywood scene for years before she got her big break.
During her acting career she appeared up deal or no deal as a suitcase modeland also had roles in 90210, Without any trace, Lock and Terrible bosses. In 2016 she became a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada and also once ran her own lifestyle blog, the tigwhich she closed after her romance with now-husband Prince Harry went public.
The couple married in a stunning ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in 2018 and are proud parents to Archie, three, and Lilibet, one. The Sussexes live in Santa Barbara, California.
Queen Consort Camilla
Camilla was initially educated at Dumbrells School in Sussex and then attended Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington. She traveled abroad to attend the Mon Fertile final school in Switzerland and after completing the course she studied French and French literature at the Institut Britannique in Paris.
After training, Camilla worked as a secretary for various companies in London’s West End and later as a receptionist for the decoration company Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler in Mayfair.
Prince Charles and Camilla were married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall in April 2005 when she became the Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla became Queen Consort when Charles ascended the throne in September 2022 following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Countess of Wessex
The Countess of Wessex began a successful public relations career with London’s Capital Radio. From there she worked in various companies before opening her own, RJH Public Relations, in 1996. A short three years later, she married into the British royal family.
Jack Brooksbank
Before he married Princess Eugenie in 2018, Jack started out as a bartender before becoming general manager of Mahiki – one of William and Harry’s favorite clubs in their youth.
He then worked as a brand ambassador for George Clooney’s alcohol company Casamigos Tequila before taking on a similar role at CostaTerra Golf & Ocean Club, a luxury resort in Portugal, in 2022. The couple, who share a year-old son, August and Are are expecting their second childnow split their time between Portugal and Great Britain.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Queen Letizia was once a highly respected journalist. Her commitment to news even brought her to the front lines of the Iraq war. And though she’s no longer a reporter, she credits the job with introducing her to the love of her life. During a work visit to northern Spain in 2002, the Spanish beauty caught the eye of her now husband, King Felipe of Spain.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
Queen Maxima enjoyed various careers in business and education before meeting her husband, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, in Spain in 1999. The couple married in 2003.
Queen Rania of Jordan
before she became Queen Rania in 1999, the beautiful royal, worked in marketing. After graduating from the American University in Cairo with a degree in business administration, she briefly worked for Citibank before accepting a position in the marketing department of Apple Inc. in Amman.
Princess Charlene of Monaco
Before her marriage to Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Charlene was a professional swimmer. She won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games and later competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, where she finished fifth with the South African medley team. The stunning king also finished sixth at the 2002 World Championships.
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Sport is particularly close to Princess Charlene’s heart, as she met Prince Albert at a swimming competition in Monaco.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Crown Princess Mary, who was born and raised in Australia, has a degree in commerce and law from the University of Tasmania before pursuing a degree in advertising. She rose through the ranks in advertising before meeting Prince Frederik in a Sydney pub on that life changing day in 2000 and changing her life forever.
Princess Marie of Denmark
Princess Marie was born in Paris and grew up in Switzerland. She studied all over the world, including Babson College in Massachusetts and Marymount Manhattan College in New York. During her college years, she worked in the public relations department of Estée Lauder.
After graduating, she returned to Europe, where she worked for various marketing companies in France and Switzerland.
Crown Princess Masako of Japan
The wife of Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan initially refused to marry the prince, reluctant to give up her freedom and independence. But in December 1992, she finally accepted Naruhito’s third proposal and the engagement was officially announced a month later. The couple have one daughter, Princess Aiko.
Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Queen Mathilde of Belgium received a degree in speech therapy from the Belgian institute libre Marie Haps. She opened her own practice in the early 1990s before royal life came along.
Queen Silvia of Sweden
Queen Silvia worked in various roles before marrying the King of Sweden and becoming a full-time queen. During her tenure at the Argentine Consulate in Munich, she hosted educational institutions during the 1972 Summer Olympics and served as deputy secretary of protocol at the Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria.
Her CV also shows a brief stint as a flight attendant and training in Swedish Sign Language. The elegant royal also speaks six languages and is a trained interpreter.
Princess Sofia of Sweden
Princess Sofia of Sweden grew up in very modest circumstances before catching the attention of the handsome Swedish Prince Carl Philip in 2010. She dabbled in modeling and reality television before moving to New York to study accounting while working part-time as a yoga teacher.
Prince Daniel of Sweden
Prince Daniel worked in retirement homes during the summer holidays before moving into sports management. He developed a love for fitness that led to the opening of his own gym, Balance, in 2006.
Despite becoming a senior member of the Swedish royal family after marrying Crown Princess Victoria in 2010, Daniel continued his education in a variety of subjects including physiology, physical activity and health.
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