SCHOOL'S nearly out for summer and, like many busy parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be making plans to entertain the kids over the break.
Prince George, eight, and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte break up on Friday, and there are two months to fill before they start at a new school with little brother Louis, four, close to their new Windsor home.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward says William and Kate will have a raft of plans to keep the children busy.
“The three children are incredibly sporty and, of course, their parents are too,” she tells The Sun.
“The focus will very much be on outdoor pursuits, with swimming, fishing, walking, riding and sailing.”
While the couple embraced the staycation trend last year, visiting the Scilly Isles, Ingrid believes they’ll be returning to more exotic climes – and calling on Kate’s parents for babysitting duties.
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Change of scene
“It’s a long holiday so I suspect that Carole and Michael Middleton, as grandparents, will probably have the kids to themselves for a little bit of the summer," she says.
“They usually go up to Balmoral to spend time with the Queen and the rest of the family for a while and, this year, I think they will also go abroad for a short time, probably to Mustique, because William and Kate will want a change of scenery.”
Privacy is crucial when the royal couple plan a well-earned family break and, for that reason, they have been returning to the private Caribbean island of Mustique since 2008.
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With a no fly-zone over the island and discrete, wealthy neighbours, the family can truly relax.
Due to the pandemic, they haven’t been to the island since 2019, when they rented a private villa for two weeks, and celebrated George’s sixth birthday there, on July 22.
The £27,000-a-week villa boasts a 60ft infinity pool, private staff and stunning sea views out to the neighbouring islands of Bequia and Saint Vincent.
For the children, who are good swimmers, there are golden beaches and an azure sea perfect for watersports like snorkelling.
“William and Kate haven’t been abroad much with the kids in recent years, apart from a trip to Jordan in the autumn, so I think they’ll be itching to get back to Mustique this year,” says Ingrid.
William and Kate haven’t been abroad much with the kids in recent years, apart from a trip to Jordan in the autumn, so I think they’ll be itching to get back to Mustique this year
“They have all the infrastructure they need there, they have a no fly zone and all kinds of things in place so they can actually have some privacy.
“The Middletons are pretty helpful with all this and Carole organises the Mustique trips.
“The family used to go to Barbados in the summer when Kate was young and Pippa’s husband’s family, the Matthews, also own an exclusive resort in St Barts.
“Although it is a bit hot and wet in the Caribbean at that time of year, there are lots of places you can go that are relatively private.”
Scottish ‘paradise’
Over the August bank holiday weekend it’s traditional for the royals to gather at the Balmoral estate in Scotland, where the Queen spends her summer.
“The Queen loves being in Balmoral,” says Ingrid.
“William has a house in the grounds, Tam Na Ghar, which was a gift to him and Harry from the Queen Mother and is down a deer track from Prince Charles’ Birkhall home.”
Once again, the vast grounds and stunning lochs provide an endless playground.
“Balmoral is absolute paradise for children,” says Ingrid. “They can do all the country things, swimming and fishing in the lochs and George might even go rabbit and grouse shooting with William.
Balmoral is absolute paradise for children. They can do all the country things, swimming and fishing in the lochs and George might even go rabbit and grouse shooting with William
“They also go riding, because they have lots of fell ponies up there and some little Shetland ponies.
"Charlotte's mad about ponies, so she is a girl after her own grandmother’s heart.
“All the kids love it up there because they have picnics every day and sometimes at night they have family barbecues, which were always a favourite of Prince Philip. And kids don't care about the midges and the rain.”
Cousin reunion
The gathering means they get together with the other royal children, including Peter Phillips’ daughters Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10, and Zara Tindall’s kids Mia, eight, Lena, four, and Lucas, one.
They may also be joined by Princess Eugenie’s one-year-old son Autumn and Beatrice’s baby Sienna, nine months.
“This is probably the one time in the year that they have a chance to spend a bit of time with their cousins, and they all get on very well,” says Ingrid. “Peter Phillips’ girls are great fun.”
Harry and Meghan's children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, are likely to be missing.
The regimented formality of the Balmoral trip is not everyone’s cup of tea, says Ingrid, and Meghan reportedly stopped Harry from taking part in the shoot.
Charlotte's mad about ponies, so she is a girl after her own grandmother’s heart
“It’s not the most relaxing place in the world and you can’t just loaf around there,” says Ingrid.
“It's still quite formal and everything's organised at certain times, because they have to be when you have staff.
“So there's breakfast at a certain time, then lunch on the hill, then tea and dinner and you have all these changes of clothing.
“You're constantly under a time frame, which is why I doubt Meghan will want to come. That’s also why Kate and William might want to go away to Mustique, where they also wouldn't have to follow a royal timeframe.”
Quality time with Gan Gan
While the Queen is cutting down on her walking, she has recently started to ride again so may be well enough to take the grandchildren on a short hack.
“The Queen is hands on when they're doing something that she's interested in," says Ingrid.
“If they're riding or learning to ride, she would enjoy helping them with that and will certainly be watching them. She loves to see them learning and achieving things.”
Although the Cambridges are set to move to Adelaide Cottage in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Anmer Hall in Norfolk will be their base for most of the holiday.
The 10-bedroom mansion on the Sandringham estate is close to the sea and Kate and Wills often take their children sailing.
The Duke and Duchess are both keen sailors and enjoy teaching their kids the ropes.
“Norfolk's really beautiful and there are wonderful beaches, including the nearby Holkham beach, so they've got everything they want at home,” says Ingrid
“There’s also a farm, and Kate recently revealed George helps out in the holidays by moving animal feed. And he loves tractors, as William once revealed, so he can go out on a tractor as well. It’s all there.”
Thoughtful choice for new school
Towards the end of the school holidays, the family will be busy upping sticks and moving, and all three will be preparing to start at a new school.
For Louis, who is currently at nursery, it will be his first year at primary.
All three are expected to go to Lambrook, a £28,000-a-year private school in Ascot.
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“Lambrook is a lovely school,” says Ingrid. “It's not far from Windsor Castle and it takes kids of all ages, so they can all be there together, which is what William and Kate said they want to do.
“Also that helps with the cost of the security and they are very mindful of the public purse, so keeping them together makes a massive difference.”
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