When Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis return to school this month, they can be proud of having learned something new during their summer holidays. Vanity Fair can reveal that Kate Middleton has been teaching her children how to sail and has even given Prince William a few lessons too.
According to a local source, the family spent several days in early August sailing a small boat on the north Norfolk coast. William, who dressed in trendy beach shorts and a cap, was spotted steering the boat, taking Kate and the children for a sail.
“They are very much a family of sailors now,” says the source. “Kate has always been a competent sailor and William’s pretty good too. They have enjoyed some wonderful time on the coast this summer sailing and showing the children how to steer and sail a boat. They love the water and the two eldest are good swimmers and had no qualms about jumping into the sea even if it was a bit fresh.”
While on the sailboat, George, 8, Charlotte, 6, and Louis, 3, wore life jackets but when it came time for swimming, the trio shunned wetsuits and opted for bathing suits as they splashed around in the sea.
“The kids were all running in and out of the water with their dog and spent hours playing in the sand. They are clearly a family that love being outdoors and in nature. It was lovely to see them playing so freely and not being bothered by anyone,” the source adds.
Mindful that much of the population have not been able to take an overseas vacation because of ongoing Covid related travel restrictions, the Cambridges have toured the best of the UK this summer. They have spent time visiting the Scilly Isles off the Cornish coast and with the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland but they have been primarily based in Norfolk at their country home Anmer Hall where they have enjoyed the beautiful sandy beaches and sailing on the local marshes.
In years past, the family has traveled to the exclusive private island of Mustique where they have rented several luxury villas. Two years ago, they celebrated spent George’s sixth birthday on the island with the Middletons, who are also avid sailors. As a child Kate was taken on sailing holidays with her siblings Pippa and James, and during her gap year she helped out as a skipper. The Duchess has also incorporated her love of sailing into her royal duties as she is the royal patron of the sailing charity 1851 Trust.
Both Kate and William are keen sailors. During a visit to Scotland in May, the couple took in a land yacht race on West Sand Beach in St Andrews and two years ago they participated in the King’s Cup Regatta on the Isle of Wight to raise money for charity. They skippered their own boats with William just beating Kate’s team. The couple was joined by George, Charlotte and Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton at the event where the princess was seen playfully poking her tongue out while on board.
In a few days George and Charlotte will return to Thomas’s Battersea school in southwest London. George is starting Year 4, while Charlotte will be in Year 2. Prince Louis will return to Willcocks Nursery School, where he was enrolled in April. Meanwhile, as previously reported, the family is considering moving out of their Kensington Palace apartment and relocating to Windsor.
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