JOHANNESBURG, Apr 28 – Kate Middleton had her sights on snaring Prince William even before she met him at university, according to a South African who supervised her gap year, local media said on Thursday.
Yachtsman Cal Tomlinson, who supervised the prince\’s fiancee at charter yacht firm Challenge Business, said Middleton already had her eye on the prince before starting at St Andrews.
"Kate made no bones in telling us she was going to study at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and capturing the prince would be one of her goals," he told The New Age.
Middleton was reserved around the other young deckhands, and Tomlinson said that he once had to deal with a lovestruck colleague who was infatuated with the future princess.
"I had to take him aside and tell him he was wasting his time. Kate was clearly headed for bigger things," Tomlinson told The New Age.
Tomlinson recalled Middleton working as "the general dogsbody" during a gap year in 2001 before attending St Andrews, where she met William.
"In the morning it was getting the boats ready, scrubbing, at 6:30 am or 7:00 am. It was very dirty work. Pretty labour intensive," Tomlinson, who worked as a crew personnel manager, told The Star newspaper.
He described the job aboard the company\’s hospitality yachts operating off the southern coast of England as "menial wage for menial work".
"Silver spoon or not, Kate wasn\’t afraid of hard work," he told The New Age.
"She used to get stuck in and do the dirty work like scrubbing the decks and bilges and she enjoyed a drink or two with us after our work was done for the day."
On Friday she will wed Prince William, the second in line to the throne, in the biggest royal wedding in 30 years.
Royal watchers have kept a close eye on the future princess since William, 28, and Middleton, 29, announced their engagement in November last year.
Middleton\’s reserve has opened her up to criticism that she lacks substance, but her pretty poise and steadfast smile in performing her first official duties at William\’s side have won her widespread praise.
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