William and Kate’s ‘special plan’ for Prince George before move to £63k Eton
EXCLUSIVE: The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to head to Balmoral this summer for their annual holiday in the sanctuary of the Scottish Highlands with their three children
The Prince and Princess of Wales
For generations, royals have spent their summer holidays at what has been dubbed the ‘most beautiful place on earth’.
And this year looks likely to be no different for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are expected to head to the peaceful sanctuary of Balmoral for their annual trip. Like his mother before him, the King spends part of August and September on the 50,000-acre Scottish Highlands estate, welcoming various relatives, including William, Kate and their children, for a short stay far from the glare of the public spotlight, while he is in residence.
This year’s expected trip north of the border will come just days before 13-year-old Prince George starts the brand new school year in secondary education at £63,000-a-year Eton College.
William and Kate with their kids George, Charlotte and Louis
And Jennie Bond tells the Mirror, the estate’s dramatic landscape, rolling lush green hills and quiet remoteness is the perfect backdrop for the Wales family to recharge their batteries before a busy September full of change.
The former BBC royal correspondent said: “The summer stay up there has always been a time primarily for William, Catherine and the rest of the family to gather in the peace of the Scottish countryside after the busyness and noise of their working lives in London and elsewhere.
“It’s a ‘breathe, relax and be still’ kind of place, and that’s what they all love about it. Its beauty is undeniable, but the castle really is quite remote, and it’s the sort of place where you have to make your own fun. That, however, is something that generations of the Royal Family seem very well equipped to do. They walk and romp, play games and ride, and fish and shoot (when in season) – it’s part of Balmoral life.
“During this break, I’m sure Catherine will want to make an extra fuss of George as he prepares for the big change in his life, setting off to Eton where he will become a full-time boarder in September.
The Princess of Wales is known for her love of the outdoors
Kate on her recent Three Peaks Challenge
“The great outdoor life they all lead at Balmoral – no matter what the weather – suits the Waleses down to the ground. We know that Catherine, in particular, not only likes but feels a vital need to be outside and in nature as much as possible.
“William and Catherine’s love of Balmoral also dates back to their university days when they would allegedly escape for secret, romantic weekends. They are said to have told friends that some of their happiest moments were those they spent on the Balmoral estate.”
That love of Balmoral was also shared by William’s late grandmother the Queen, who peacefully died at her beloved home almost four years ago. And no doubt recent trips back there will have evoked memories of Elizabeth II, who loved welcoming George, Charlotte, Louis and her other young relatives there each summer.
In 2023, just months after her death, William and Kate shared a beautiful family snap of the former monarch sitting on a sofa surrounded by her younger relatives at the retreat.
The picture, taken by Kate, which was released to mark what would have been her 97th birthday, showed the Queen with her great-grandchildren, including George, Princess Charlotte and Louis, as well as Mike and Zara Tindall’s three children, Mia, Lena and Lucas.
A photo by the Princess of Wales showing the late Queen surrounded by some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at Balmoral
It echoed another snap taken by Kate years earlier featuring many of the same children with the Queen as well as the late Prince Philip on the same sofa in Balmoral Castle.
Meanwhile, after Elizabeth II’s death in 2022, Kate gave another insight into the annual trip, telling Australia’s former Governor General David Hurley about the games the children played there.
Mr Hurley revealed Kate said: “The younger one is now asking questions like, ‘do you think we can still play these games when we go to Balmoral and things like that, cause she’s not going to be there?'”
Jennie explained that the vastness of Balmoral and its grounds means it’s perfect for hosting others at the same time as the Waleses. She said: “They also don’t have to live on top of one another, as it were – the castle is vast but there are also various houses and cottages dotted around where many of them prefer to stay – including the King and Queen, who spend most of their time at the home that was once the Queen Mother’s and which they have made very much their own: Birkhall.
“The Balmoral holiday is an important tradition for the family when quite a lot of them can spend time together away from work, away from the cameras and very seriously off-duty. Generation after generation seem to have fallen under the spell of the castle and its grounds.
George clambers over rocks alongside brother Prince Louis on a recent family holiday
Louis plays on the sand on a Wales family trip to Cornwall
“Prince Harry called it paradise; others have described it as magical. It will always be a very special place because of the memories it holds of the late Queen who adored her fairytale castle and, in the end, died peacefully there.
“It’s also a magical place for the children – especially the Wendy house at the bottom of the garden at Birkhall. It’s incredibly cute with a thatched roof made of heather, and bark covered walls. It looks as if a garden gnome or fairy might live there.”
However, the Balmoral holiday will only be a short trip in what is a long summer break for the family before school and royal duties will begin again in September.
The school holidays are nearly always ring-fenced for William and Kate, meaning they can spend as much time as possible with their children, whether it be at their country retreat of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, their new family home of Forest Lodge or even abroad.
Balmoral Castle on the vast Balmoral estate
But wherever they end up, it seems outdoor activities are very much the order of the day – as proved by a behind-the-scenes video to mark George’s 13th birthday last month – and previous similar clips to mark the birthdays of his siblings.
The small 18-second clip filmed during the family’s Easter trip to Cornwall shows him clambering over the rocks barefoot with younger brother Louis, playing cricket on the beach, and waving and smiling at the camera as he sports the sunglasses he wore to Wimbledon.
The prince is also seen enjoying a boat ride and stroking one of the Waleses’ dogs as it lies in the sand.
But one activity that might not be on the cards for the children is too much screen time, as both William and Kate have talked about the importance of not focusing too much on phones and other devices, and the Prince of Wales even admitting they’ve taken the decision to not allow the youngsters to have smartphones.
Royal expert Jennie added: “Like many of us, William and Catherine are probably thinking that the summer is turning out to be so lovely here in the UK that there’s no point in going abroad. But they’re never short of invitations and options.
“Wherever they are – and it will probably mostly be their home in Norfolk – the emphasis will be on family, friends, fun and outdoor activities. I expect there’ll be frequent get-togethers with Catherine’s family so that all the young cousins can play together.
