Why Queen Elizabeth Criticized Kate Middleton Before Prince William Marriage

She seems to thoroughly approve of both her granddaughters-in-law, but a new report claims that Queen Elizabeth may not have approved of Kate Middleton as much as it seems when she first met her.

In a new interview with Express UK, royal reporter and biographer Phil Dampier revealed that prior to their marriage, Queen Elizabeth actually criticized Middleton for her lack of enthusiasm to commit to royal engagements during the many years she was with Prince William before they married.

“Kate was William’s girlfriend for eight or nine years before they got engaged and got married,” he said. “There was a phase where she appeared to be doing very little really. The Queen once remarked Kate doesn’t do very much so I think she had a fairly long entrance to the Royal family.”

Though Middleton met Prince William in 2001, when they both enrolled at St. Andrew’s University, she didn’t join him on her first engagement until 2010, which could have spurred the Queen’s alleged comment. However, Dampier revealed that her slower advancement into royal life was something Prince William orchestrated, comparing it to his mother, Princess Diana, who was abruptly thrown into the royal life ahead of her marriage to Prince Charles.

“William, because of what happened to his mother, was very protective of her and always has been since then,” he said. “She only does what she wants to do and is comfortable with and isn’t put under too much pressure and scrutiny. His family’s been his number one priority.”

Of course, even if she didn’t approve of Middleton’s slow approach to royal engagements and life at first, since her wedding to Prince William in 2011, the Queen has come around.