Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Spend Time at Balmoral — Just Like Prince William Did

Fishing, picnics and plenty of dog walks define the royal family's summer days at their favorite escape

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are soaking up the last days of summer, but unlike other kids, their playground is Balmoral Castle.

Kate Middleton and Prince William were spotted driving to a church service at Crathie Church on Aug. 25, confirming that the family were in Scotland for the royal family's annual gathering at Balmoral Castle. King Charles has continued Queen Elizabeth's tradition of spending the end of summer at the royal residence in the Scottish Highlands.

Balmoral has been a beloved vacation spot for the British royal family since Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, bought the estate in 1852. Queen Elizabeth roamed the grounds as a child, as did Charles, who brought his sons Prince William and Prince Harry there when they were growing up.

"The princes were inseparable, solid for one another,” royal photographer Arthur Edwards previously told PEOPLE of the bond he saw between Charles and his sons.

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Commenting on iconic shots he took of the trio exploring the River Dee with their dogs in August 1997 (just weeks before the tragic death of Princess Diana in a Paris car crash), the author of Behind the Crown: My Life Photographing the Royal Family said, “They looked so relaxed, having fun together on that summer holiday in Balmoral when I took these photos.”

Prince William will likely follow in his father’s footsteps by exploring the vast grounds with his kids, as they have in past years.

Over the years, family and friends convened at the castle and made the most of the expansive grounds with outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, horseback riding and picnics, activities that King Charles will likely continue.

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On Aug. 19, the 75-year-old monarch participated in a ceremonial welcome at the Balmoral Castle gates, signaling the official start of his vacation.

The holiday will be bittersweet as the royal family's second summer stay at Balmoral without Queen Elizabeth, who died there in September 2022 at age 96. The vast castle proved to be a favorite escape for the Queen in her later years, where Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, paid her plenty of visits.

In April 2023, the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, gave a glimpse of a family gathering at Balmoral with a never-before-seen photo of the late Queen and some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The shot (taken by Princess Kate!) was released in honor of what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday.

The photo snapped in the summer of 2022 showed the history-making monarch sitting on a green couch surrounded by George, Charlotte and Louis, plus Zara and Mike Tindall’s kids — Mia, Lena and Lucas — and Peter Phillips' daughters — Savannah and Isla. Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s teen kids — Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex — smiled behind them.

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The intergenerational bond around Balmoral was also evident in a photo courtiers circulated following Prince Philip’s death in April 2021. The picture, taken in the summer of 2018, showed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip sitting in another cozy room of the castle with George, Charlotte, Louis, Mia, Lena, Savannah and Isla.

Both born that year, Prince Louis and Lena were both just a few months old at the time. Queen Elizabeth held Prince William’s youngest son while Isla cuddled her cousin Lena.

As the family comes together again, convening at Balmoral will surely cap the summer on a sweet note. During a 2020 chat on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Princess Kate revealed that she’s happiest when "I'm with my family outside in the countryside, and we're all filthy dirty."

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