Former Royal Staffer Reveals the Change That Hit Kate Overnight After She and Prince William Got Engaged
Today, Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) have been married for several years and have three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
But some who used to work for the royal family remember them as a couple before they got engaged, and what changed for Kate immediately after that.
So much in the princess’s life wasn’t the same after William proposed, and now a former employee is sharing what changed right away. Plus, what the truth is about those reports that Kate received “formal training” before she and the prince could tie the knot.
Changes behind closed doors after Kate and Prince William got engaged
Jack Stooks was King Charles’ senior gardener at the royal family’s Highgrove estate for more than two decades. He’s revealing what changes kicked in as soon as William and Kate announced their engagement.
Speaking on behalf of Smooth Spins Casino, Stooks told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Things definitely changed after the engagement. Before that, Kate had no royal protection, and the press followed her everywhere, leaving little privacy. I believe the pressure even contributed to their brief breakup.
“Once the engagement was announced, she was assigned personal protection officers, allowing her to move around safely and with less stress. Public outings became rarer, but behind closed doors, she and William remained warm and down to earth.”
Stooks continued, “Everyone was genuinely happy. It was exciting to think of the young prince getting married to the future Princess of Wales. I don’t remember any big parties or celebrations, just a lot of joy. The announcement was made in London, so we didn’t see the initial reaction at Highgrove.
“When the king and queen got engaged, though, they came back to Highgrove afterwards, and all the staff got to line up inside the house and personally congratulate them. That didn’t happen with William and Kate, but that’s probably because I worked for the king, and not William directly.”
Did Kate receive ‘formal training’ after she became Prince William’s fiancée?
There have been rumors for years that Kate had to undergo training before she wed Prince William to learn all about royal etiquette, how to handle the press, and what to do in certain situations she may find herself in. Stooks was asked if he knew about any formal training the princess was given before her wedding.
“Not formally,” he said. “I think much of her training came naturally as she entered royal life. She was well-educated and went to St Andrews, of course.”
The former royal employee also shared how long it actually takes to plan a big royal wedding like William and Kate had.
“These events don’t actually take as long to plan as people think. The Royal Household is used to organizing major occasions, so it’s a well-oiled machine,” he explained. “The police and Palace staff know exactly what needs to be done. I went to the king’s wedding and Harry’s wedding, but not William and Kate’s. For the king’s wedding, I helped with flowers from the gardens, working with florist Shane Connolly. He also did the flowers for William and Kate’s wedding, but I wasn’t directly involved in that one.”
