Jobs before they married into the royal family: Kate Middleton, Duchess Camilla and more

Some of the world's famous faces started out just like us - before they met the royal loves of their lives and married into monarchies, that is! Here at HELLO!, we've taken a trip down memory lane to see what the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Sussex, the Duchess of Cornwall and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark were getting up to before their fairytale royal weddings.

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Kate, who married Prince William in 2011, is known for being a loving mother to three children while managing a busy work calendar as a senior member of Britain's Royal Family. But back in the day, the royal had normal 9 to 5 jobs. After working for her parents' hugely successful party supply company, Kate became an accessories buyer with the British clothing chain Jigsaw. However, the public attention that came with being the girlfriend of Britain's future King became too great for Kate and in 2006 she quit her job.

Take a look through the gallery to see which other royals had full-time jobs before marrying into the monarchy...

Here, a dressed-down Kate attends the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park on August 6, 2005 in Stroud, England.

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Meghan Markle

The Duchess of Sussex, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in theatre and international studies from Illinois' Northwestern University in 2003, may have gained fame from being on Suits from 2011-2018, but she was on the Hollywood scene for years before landing her big break.

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During her acting career she appeared on Deal or No Deal as a suitcase model, and also had roles in 90210, Without a Trace, Castle and Horrible Bosses. In 2016, she became the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada and she also once ran her own lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she shut down after her romance with now-husband Prince Harry went public. The pair married in a stunning ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in 2018. 

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage for Ink PR Group.

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The Duchess of Cornwall

Camilla was first educated at Dumbrells School in Sussex and then attended Queen's Gate School in South Kensington. She travelled abroad to go to Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland and after completing the course, she studied French and French Literature at the Institut Britannique in Paris.

After her education, Camilla worked as a secretary for a variety of firms in London's West End and later, was employed as a receptionist for the decorating firm 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. 

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The Countess of Wessex

The Countess of Wessex started a successful career in public relations at London's Capital Radio. From there she went on to work in different firms 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 as a bartender before he became the general manager of Mahiki – one of William and Harry's go-to clubs in their youth. He now works as a brand ambassador for George Clooney's company, Casamigos Tequila and will reportedly become a director of his father's accountancy business, Pangaea Land And Property Limited.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi married Princess Beatrice in July 2020 and is the founder and chief executive of property development company, Banda Property. Before setting up his own business at the age of 23, he attended Radley College before obtaining an M.A. in politics at the University of Edinburgh. 

Autumn Phillips

Autumn, a Montreal native, was living a quiet life in Canada before catching the eye of the Queen's eldest grandson, Philip, who was in Montreal to attend the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. The mother-of-two attended McGill University and dabbled in acting before starting a career in management consulting.

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Princess Marie of Denmark

Princess Marie was born in Paris and raised 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 at Estée Lauder. After graduating she returned to Europe where she worked for a variety of marketing firms in France and Switzerland.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium

Queen Mathilde of Belgium received a degree in speech therapy from Belgium's Institut libre Marie Haps. She went on to open her own practice in the early 1990s before royal life came calling.

Prince Daniel of Sweden

Prince Daniel worked at retirement residences during his summer breaks before moving into sports leadership. He developed a love for fitness which led to the opening of his own gym, Balance, in 2006. Even though he became a senior member of Sweden's royal family upon his marriage to Victoria in 2010, Daniel has continued his education in a variety of subjects, including physiology, physical activity and health.

Princess Mary of Denmark

Princess Mary, who was born and raised in Australia, received a degree in commerce and law at the University of Tasmania before completing a graduate degree in advertising. She climbed the ranks within the advertising community before that life-altering day in 2000 when she met Prince Frederik at a Sydney pub and her life changed forever.

Princess Sofia of Sweden

Princess Sofia of Sweden came from a very humble upbringing before catching the eye of Sweden's handsome Prince Carl Philip in 2010. She dabbled in modelling and reality television before moving to New York to study accounting while working part-time as a yoga instructor.

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Queen Letizia of Spain

Queen Letizia was once a highly respected journalist. Her dedication to news even took her to the frontlines of the Iraq war. And while she is no longer a reporter, she credits the job for introducing her to the love of her life. It was during a work visit to northern Spain in 2002 that the Spanish beauty caught the eye of her now-husband.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

Queen Maxima enjoyed a variety of careers in economics and education before meeting her husband in Spain back in 1999. The couple married in the Netherlands in 2003.

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 she finally accepted Naruhito's third proposal in December 1992 and the engagement was officially announced one month later. The couple have one daughter, Princess Aiko.

Grace Kelly

The Princess of Monaco is still known by many as Hollywood star, Grace Kelly. The actress was dating French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont when she was introduced to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, but romance blossomed and the couple married in 1956. Grace gave up acting at the age of 26, but by then she had won a Golden Globe Award and received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Mogambo. She also won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her film, The Country Girl.

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Princess Charlene of Monaco

Prior to her wedding to Prince Albert II of Monaco, Princess Charlene was a professional swimmer. She won three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games, and later competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, where she came fifth with the South African medley team. The stunning royal also finished sixth in the 2002 World Championships. The sport is particularly close to Princess Charlene’s heart, as it was during a swimming meet in Monaco that she met Prince Albert.

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Queen Rania of Jordan

Before she became Queen Rania in 1999, the beautiful royal worked in marketing. Having graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo, she briefly worked for Citibank, before taking a job in the marketing department at Apple Inc. in Amman.

Queen Silvia of Sweden

Queen Silvia worked across various roles before she married the King of Sweden and became a full-time royal. Working at the Argentine Consulate in Munich, she went on to be an educational host during the 1972 Summer Olympics, as well as serving as the Deputy Head of Protocol in the Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Her CV also boasts a brief stint as a flight attendant, as well as training in Swedish Sign Language. The elegant royal can also speak six languages, and is a trained interpreter.

Princess Tatiana of Greece

When Princess Tatiana graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in sociology, she began working for Diane Von Furstenberg, as an event planner for the publicity department. In July 2010, she resigned to concentrate on planning her wedding to Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, and the couple wed a month later.

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