The Queen thought Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, was ‘unpalatable’

When Prince Harry started dating Meghan, the Queen seemed to warm to her immediately, but she got off to a much rockier start with Kate.

The Queen “disapproved” of Kate Middleton’s “frivolous displays of wealth” before marrying Prince William, a royal biographer claims.

Author Katie Nicholls says The Queen found Kate’s lavish London lifestyle “unpalatable”.

The royal author wrote in her 2010 biography William and Harry: “If [Kate] was not with William at Balmoral then the couple were skiing or holidaying on Mustique.

“Kate was there so often the press dubbed her ‘Queen of Mustique’, a title that had previously belonged to Princess Margaret.”

The Queen and Kate seem to get on famously now. Picture: AP

According to The Sun, a source told the royal expert that: “Swanning from one five-star holiday resort to another is not the prerequisite for a young woman possibly destined to be Queen.”

The Queen was unsettled by Kate’s exotic holidays, but also her prominence on the London club scene as Britain entered a recession in 2008.

The author wrote: “Britain was now in recession and such frivolous displays of wealth were unpalatable to The Queen.”

Prince William with then-girlfriend Kate Middleton at the exclusive ski resort of Klosters in 2004. Picture: Supplied

Kate had been described as similar to the party-loving Princess Margaret, pictured in Barbados in 1978. Picture: Supplied

It’s reported that Kate Middleton was “stung by the Queen’s criticism”, and despite being advised by Clarence House not to publicly comment, the now-Duchess claimed to be working for her parent’s company as a photographer.

A black-and-white photo of Kate appeared on the website, but was taken down shortly after.

Nicholls said: “It was deemed a step too far and within weeks it had been removed.”

Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa after a night out in London in 2007. Picture: Getty Images

Stepping in with some advice, it’s claimed the Queen steered Kate into more suitable roles.

The biography says: “The Queen had quietly suggested that Kate affiliate herself with a charity and, by September, she was involved with Starlight, which works with seriously and terminally ill children.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton met in 2001 at St Andrews, and are thought to have started dating in 2003.

The Queen had an instant affinity with Meghan. Picture: Supplied

After briefly splitting in 2007, while skiing at the Swiss resort of Zermatt, the couple got engaged in 2010, marrying the following year.

The couple are now parents to Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, three, and Princes Louis, 10-months-old.

Kate and Meghan have both had to adapt to living life in a constant spotlight. Picture: AP

This story was originally published in The Sun and is reprinted with permission.