Inside ‘normal’ Kate Middleton’s Balmoral summer with George, Charlotte & Louis as she takes ‘positive’ step in recovery
LIKE millions of kids around the country, George, Charlotte and Louis are currently enjoying their summer holiday off school.
It has been reported that Princess Kate and Prince William will take their kids up to Balmoral in Scotland to join family members, as is tradition.
The family break will be Kate’s longest trip away since her cancer diagnosis, as she continues to undergo treatment.
However, royal author Phil Dampier said that it is a “positive” sign in her recovery that the mum-of-three is planning to go to Scotland.
Speaking to Fabulous, he said: “The fact that Kate is well enough to travel to Scotland and enjoy a holiday at Balmoral is a sure sign she is on the mend and a very positive step.”
The Waleses will join King Charles and Queen Camilla, with the rest of the Royal Family in tow, at Balmoral, as reported by The Mail on Sunday,
Kate has holidayed at the Scottish Highlands residence every summer since marrying Prince William – and this year appears to be no different.
Here’s what the Prince and Princess of Wales and their kids will get up to on their “normal” Balmoral summer break…
FISHING FUN
The Balmoral Estate is vast, and it now covers an area of approximately 50,000 acres of forestry, mountains and fields, with the scenic river Dee flowing through it.
Phil shared: “Obviously, there’s so much space up there, so the children can go off.
“I’m sure that George is of an age now where he’ll be fishing, possibly in the River Dee there.”
PICNICS WITH KATE
The estate and castle are privately owned by the Royal Family and are not the property of the Crown, which offers them a family break away from the public eye.
Phil said: “There’s so much space that they can go off for picnics, go off for massive long walks, and just enjoy the fresh air and the forest up there, and enjoy the freedom.
“They might get a pony up there and start doing some horse riding if they’re not already.
“That’s the sort of thing they’ll get up to.
“It’s all the typical traditional royal pursuits that they can enjoy if they want to up there.”
The royal expert said that Balmoral tips are “extremely private”, and added: “We don’t tend to see as many pictures as we used to; they tend to be left alone up there, and I’m sure that’s how they’ll like it.”
The Princess has only been seen twice publicly after announcing her health journey in an emotional video message earlier this year.
DRAFTY CASTLE
The category A listed Balmoral Castle- which costs around £3million annually to run – is breathtaking but can be fairly “drafty”, according to Phil.
The Scottish castle has been in the Royal Family since 1852 and boasts over 52 bedrooms and is estimated to be worth a cool £155million according to Business Insider.
He shared: “It’s quite traditional up there, and some people find it can get quite cold and drafty.
“The rooms are fairly spacious, and the heating system up there is fairly antiquated.
“There are lots of cottages on the estate, and I think sometimes other members of the family prefer to stay there.
“It can be old-fashioned in that sense.
“But it’s summer, so it’s not too cold, though it can be a bit drafty.”
Thankfully, when the Prince and Princess of Wales visit Balmoral, they typically stay at a cottage on the grounds, Tam-Na-Ghar.
The cottage was a gift to Prince William from his great-grandmother, The Queen Mother, shortly before her passing in 2002.
It gives the family the opportunity to have a private getaway, and William and Kate have been visiting the cottage since they were students at St. Andrew’s University.
OUTDOOR BBQS
During the stay, King Charles will stay at Birkhall with Queen Camilla, but they’ll “travel over for dinner and events and picnics”, claims Phil.
He shared: “The late Queen loved going out to remote beauty spots, and the King will likely continue that.
“She famously used to wash the dishes sometimes after a barbecue, while Prince Philip was grilling the sausages, and Princess Anne would do that as well.
“They’ll enjoy picnics in remote spots and go into cabins with a small bar with a few drinks.
“It’s very relaxed but very traditional, and they do the same things pretty much every year.
“The King will want to keep that going, but it may be slightly scaled down depending on how he’s feeling, how Kate’s feeling, and their energy levels because they are still in recovery.”
BATS INSIDE
The Sun exclusively revealed that Balmoral is full of bats and even the late Queen got involved with helping servants chase them with nets.around with nets.
The ballroom of the large Aberdeenshire estate was believed to be home to a colony of pipistrelle bats that nest in the rafters – and Her Majesty had pointed them out to her staff so they could catch them with nets.
HOUSEFUL OF FAMILY
Balmoral will be “quite a houseful”, according to the royal expert, and there will “probably be some crossover with members of the family.”
He added: “You might get the Tindalls up there with their three children, and Peter Phillips, who was a great favourite of the Queen, might be up there with his children and possibly his new girlfriend.
“They get on very well with William and Kate, so if their children play together, that’ll be great for the summer.”
HARRY AND MEGHAN NOT COMING
One royal couple who aren’t expected to make an appearance are California-based Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Sarah Hewson, royal correspondent, told The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show how the current state of family affairs is “a mess, and it’s a very sorry mess”.
Speaking about the upcoming royal summer break at Balmoral, The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson asked whether Harry and Meghan would be receiving an invite.
“We’re always told the King’s door is always open, but would they be invited?,” responded the royal expert.
“I don’t see an actual physical invitation being issued but were they to ask, it would be very difficult for the King to say no.
Balmoral Castle
BALMORAL Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, near the village of Crathie.
The vast property is situated 6.2 miles west of Ballater and 6.8 miles east of Braemar.
The estate and castle are privately owned by the Royal Family and are not the property of the Crown.
The existing house on site was found to be too small, so the royals purchased the estate in 1852.
In its place, the construction of the current Balmoral Castle was commissioned.
William Smith of Aberdeen was the architect, although his designs were amended by Prince Albert.
Historic Scotland classified the castle as a category A listed building.
The new castle was completed in 1856, with the old castle demolished shortly thereafter.
Successive Royal Family members added to the Balmoral Estate, and it now covers an area of approximately 50,000 acres.
As well as the main castle, there are 150 other buildings on the estate, including Birkhall, the estate of King Charles, Craigowan Lodge, and several other cottages.
Balmoral is a working estate, including grouse moors, forestry, and farmland, as well as managed herds of deer, Highland cattle, and ponies.
Since 1987, an illustration of the castle has been featured on the reverse side of £100 notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The crimson-coloured notes are the largest denomination of banknotes issued by The Royal Bank of Scotland and are still in production.
“He doesn’t want this distance with his son, and he certainly doesn’t want this barrier between him and his grandchildren.
“We know things with the Waleses and the Sussexes are extremely tense. I don’t see any signs of any thawing there – and it’s really not a priority.”
Phil agreed, saying: “The situation with William and Harry is bad, so there’s no way Harry and Meghan are going to come over and spend any time with them.
“In an interview the other day, Harry said he didn’t feel able to bring Meghan back to this country for the time being because of their ongoing battle about security.
“So she’s not going to come back, and neither will Archie or Lilibet.”
HIGH PROFILE GUESTS
Traditionally the royal family will have a few guests to stay, including the Prime Minister and their spouse.
Not everyone was a fan of the stay, with Tony Bliar describing the experience as a “vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal and the utterly freaky”.
Phil added: “Famously, Tony Blair and his wife Cherie conceived their son Leo up there while staying with the King.
“So that [a PM visit] will be something the King will be doing if he’s up to it.”
DANCING WITH STAFF
It was often said that Balmoral was where the late Queen was happiest, and she’d go up every summer without fail.
One of her highlights from the trip was the Ghillies Ball – traditionally hosted towards the end of the summer break – and it is thought King Charles will continue the tradition.
However, it hasn’t been confirmed if Kate and William will attend.
He said: “It depends on when they go up there and how long they stay, but certainly, I would expect them to be up there for at least a week, possibly two.
“Whether Kate and William and their family are up there at the same time as any events like that remains to be seen.
“It might be that things are scaled down somewhat because of the King’s treatment and Kate’s condition and treatment.
“It might be that they’re not going to go in for too many big events like that.”
Speaking of the Ghillies Ball, Phil added: “They had amazing nights up there when they used to do dancing in full Scottish regalia.
“The royals, the Queen and Prince Philip, and the Queen Mother and others would dance the night away with the servants and the ghillies, the people responsible, the gamekeepers, and all those people who kept Balmoral ticking over.
“I’m sure the King will want to keep some of those traditions going.”