Princess Kate’s little-known talent that she developed long before she officially joined the Royal Family has likely helped her enormously since becoming a mum of three to George, Charlotte, and Louis

Long before Princess Kate married Prince William and officially became the future Queen, she had a career of her own, and it was something she is said to have had a “genuine talent” in.

This little-known specialty of the Princess of Wales, 43, is said to have helped her out enormously since she became a mum of three to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six—especially when it comes to the royal youngsters attending high-profile events with their parents.

Back in 2006, Kate worked as a children’s accessories buyer at the high-street brand Jigsaw, and she is said to have displayed a serious knack for the role during the year she held the position. The Wales children always look seriously smart when they appear in public with their parents, and it’s likely some of the skills Kate picked up on the job – along with her natural aptitude towards stylishness – has helped her out hugely when it comes to getting her kids ready to attend a royal engagement.

The whole Wales family is also known to coordinate their outfits when they are out and about together in public – something a fashion expert has said previously is a way of projecting a “united front”.

Per the Daily Mail, royal author Katie Nicholls said in her book Kate: The Future Queen that Kate snagged the prestigious fashion job after getting in touch with a pal who owned the company – Belle Robinson – and seeing if there was any way she could find her a role.

“She rang me up one day and said: ‘Could I come and talk to you about work?’ She genuinely wanted a job, but she needed an element of flexibility to continue the relationship with a very high-profile man and a life that she can’t dictate,” the pal explained.

At that time, Kate and William had already been together for several years, after meeting whilst they were undergraduates at the University of St. Andrews – and due to their relationship, Kate was already a figure who attracted vast amounts of attention from the public.

After the position of children’s accessories buyer opened up, Kate impressed in the interview and landed the gig – and was known for her hard work whilst she was there. “She was very diligent and never late, and she had a very good work ethic. She made an effort to blend in and get on with the job,” a former coworker told the royal author.

Kate’s pal Belle, the owner of the company, also revealed: “There were days when there were TV crews at the end of the drive. We’d say, ‘Listen, do you want to go out the back way?’ And she’d say: ‘To be honest, they’re going to hound us until they’ve got the picture. So why don’t I just go, get the picture done, and then they’ll leave us alone.’

“I thought she was very mature.”