Kate Middleton set up a children's clothing company but had to drop it because of debt problems, according to a new book.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 31, who was dating Prince William at the time, hoped to copy her mum Carole's success in business.
She planned the clothing line as part of the Middleton family's Party Pieces website and travelled abroad to meet fashion experts and suppliers.
According to the book, 'Kate the Future Queen', she came up with a business plan between skiing trips in Klosters with William, who had at the time just enrolled at Sandhurst Military Academy.
She spent hours finding high-quality children's clothing and flew to Milan where she used her basic Italian to set up deals with a manufacturer. She even won the backing of clothing company Viyella to be a partner.
But the book says she 'hit obstacles early on' in 2006 and was soon operating at a loss.
It says: "Kate decided that she might be better off working for a well-established fashion company instead. In the run up to Christmas 2006, she got a plum job with high street clothing chain Jigsaw as an accessory buyer."