The late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly granted the Princess of Wales a rare photography privilege during the Royal Family's summer stays at Balmoral Castle, a gesture seen as marking Kate's acceptance into the family's most private traditions.
According to royal author Katie Nicholl, the Queen gave Kate permission to bring her camera and photograph Balmoral and its surrounding landscape, in recognition of Kate's passion for photography. While this may seem unremarkable to most, Nicholl explains that it was not something ordinarily permitted.
A Sign of Welcome
In her book Kate: The Future Queen, Nicholl writes: "Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral."
According to the royal expert, both this gesture and the invitation to Balmoral demonstrated that the Queen was prepared to welcome Kate into the inner royal circle. Nicholl added: "As a woman who has lived her entire life in the public eye, the Queen rarely lets her guard down, and very few apart from her family and closest friends get to see the real Elizabeth."
A Cherished Photograph
One particularly iconic photograph taken by Kate at Balmoral was released in 2021 following the death of Prince Philip. It captures the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2018, surrounded by seven of their great-grandchildren during one of their family holidays in Scotland.
In keeping with a royal tradition established by the Queen, King Charles traditionally spends August and into September at Balmoral. Throughout his stay, the King invites various family members to join him, with the royals taking part in outdoor activities together. The royals are said to have a particular fondness for strolling across the estate's vast 50,000 acres, as well as enjoying al fresco picnics and barbecues.
A Special Place for the Queen
The late Queen's granddaughter Princess Eugenie has previously spoken warmly about her grandparents' affection for the retreat. She told the programme Our Queen at 90: "It's the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is the most happy there, I think she really, really loves the Highlands...walks, picnics, dogs, a lot of dogs, there's always dogs, and people coming in and out all the time.
"Family-wise we're all there, so it's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa to be - for us to come and see them up there where you just have room to breathe and run."
