When Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William with their brood pay a visit to Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle, one royal expert claims she gives a special treat to her great-grandchildren.
When Kate and Prince William visit the Queen with their three children, Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, royal author Katie Nicholl claims the Queen leaves gifts on their loved ones’ beds. “When the Cambridges stay at the Queen’s Scottish castle, the monarch has been known to leave small personally chosen gifts on her grandchildren’s beds,” she wrote in Vanity Fair.
According to Ms Nicholl, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent the previous week at Balmoral Castle with the Queen and their children.
The Queen will have been looking forward to their visit, according to the expert, who cited a family friend who said the Queen’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have designated the last weekend of August as their time.
“The Bank Holiday weekend has become a tradition in recent years as the final family get-together before Christmas, and everyone is invited,” the source said.
“In the past, it’s been a big sleepover with a lot of the Queen’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
“It gives Her Majesty a great deal of pleasure.”
Kate, William, and their three children are said to spend most of their time at Balmoral immersed in nature, going for long walks, fishing, and horseback riding and cycling.
Prince William wants his children to have similar experiences to those he had during his summer holidays at Balmoral, according to a source who claims the Cambridges paid a visit to the Queen in Scotland.
“They always enjoy going up to Balmoral; they love the outdoors and walking in the hills, as well as spending quality time with family,” the source said.
“It’s where William spent a lot of his childhood, and it’s important to him that his kids see what he saw as a kid.”
During a speech at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland’s opening ceremony in May, the Duke of Cambridge spoke fondly of Scotland and his time at Balmoral.
“My childhood was full of vacations spent outside having fun and swimming in lochs, family barbeques with my grandfather in command, and yes – the occasional midge,” he said.
The Queen is thought to have had a number of visitors during her month at Balmoral, including Kate and Prince William.
Princess Eugenie, 31, was spotted landing at Aberdeen Airport in mid-August.
Her arrival in Scotland led to speculation that she spent a few days with the Queen, accompanied by her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August Philip Hawke.
At Balmoral, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are said to have spent a few days together.
Furthermore, the Daily Mail’s diary editor Richard Eden claimed that the monarch visited Glen Muick in late August, which is known to be one of her favourite Scottish beauty spots.
The monarch, according to the commentator, would have hosted a picnic with a few children, thought to be the children of Zara Tindall or her brother Peter Phillips.
Peter, the Queen’s oldest grandchild and often referred to as Her Majesty’s favourite, is the father of two daughters, Isla and Savannah.
Zara, Princess Anne’s daughter, has three children: Mia, Lena, and Lucas.
The Queen arrived in Scotland on July 23, but it wasn’t until early August that she moved into Balmoral Castle, which had been closed to visitors.
The Queen’s arrival at her Scottish home was marked by a ceremony held outside her castle on August 9.
During the event, the Queen inspected a guard of honour comprised of 5 SCOTS from Balaklava Company, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and met Lance Corporal Cruachan IV, the Regiment’s mascot Shetland Pony.
The Queen is expected to stay in Scotland until at least October 2, when she will attend the Scottish Parliament’s special opening ceremony.
