Kate Middleton: Queen Elizabeth criticised Duchess of Cambridge for this shocking reason

Kate Middleton has been officially part of the British royal family since she married heir to the throne Prince William in 2011. She now has three royal children, Prince George, five – who will one day be King – Princess Charlotte, three, and Prince Louis, seven months. The Duchess of Cambridge makes numerous royal appearances these days and appears to be on good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, 92.  However, a royal expert has claimed that there was once a time when the monarch was less impressed with Kate. 

Kate and William began dating in 2001 after meeting as students at St Andrew’s University in Scotland.

The couple were together for many years before finally deciding to get engaged.

Kate Middleton’s first official Royal engagement was in 2010 when she and William visited a Teenage Cancer Trust event in Norfolk.

However, in the years before this engagement, the Queen was critical of Kate in one way in particular.

She is said to have thought Kate was not doing enough during her courtship with William.

Phil Dampier, who has been reporting on the Royal family for over 20 years, said: “Kate was William’s girlfriend for eight or nine years before they got engaged and got married.

“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.”

Dampier is of the opinion that the reason William didn’t bring Kate into the spotlight that much was because of his mother, Princess Diana.

Diana was famously hounded by the press and the Prince did not want Kate’s life to be upset in such a way.

Dampier said: “William, because of what happened to his mother, was very protective of her and always has been since then.

“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.”

Prince William and Kate appear very loved-up these days, but an interview with the heir in 2005 showed he wasn’t always so sure about his future with the Duchess.

In a press photocall during a skiing trip with Prince Charles and Prince Harry, William was asked whether he and Kate would be next to walk down the aisle

In response, William laughed before saying: “No, I don’t think so.”

According to 2011 book “The Making of a Royal Romance” by Katie Nicholl, William once shunned any suggestion that he would marry his long-term girlfriend soon.

In an interview when he was only 22 years old, William replied to a question regarding marriage with: “Look, I’m only 22 for God’s sake. I’m too young to marry at my age. I don’t want to get married until I am at least 28 or maybe 30.”