Prince Charles' two sons Prince William and Prince Harry had an incredible den they could play in at their childhood home in Gloucestershire, Highgrove House, which was later turned into a treehouse for Prince George – and it was the inspiration behind the royal's new garden feature.
LOOK: Prince Charles' lesser-known Scottish home that he'll never live in
The Prince of Wales has opened a new 300-square metre wooden adventure playground at his Scottish home, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, complete with rope bridges, a netting tunnel, two side-by-side racing slides and a tube slide – all nestled in the trees.
WATCH: Charles Opens Children’s Adventure Playpark Inspired By George’s Treehouse
The central play tower of the incredible nature-based playpark, commissioned by Charles’ charity The Prince’s Foundation, was based on a den with a pointed thatched roof that was originally built for Prince William’s seventh birthday in 1989.
Charles refurbished it for his eldest grandson George in 2015, but it will likely also be a hit with the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge's other children, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana should they visit.
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Prince Charles' Scottish home Dumfries House
The treehouse, nicknamed 'Hollyrood House' after the Queen’s official Scottish residence, was reportedly built around an old holly tree and was accessible only by a rope hanging through a trap door, which has now been changed to a holly leaf-shaped door.
Paul Travers of Creating Adventurous Places (CAP.Co), which designed the new structure at Dumfries, said: "It’s loosely based on the [Highgrove] treehouse in terms of shape and form."
Now, other children across the country who make the trip to Charles' Scottish home will be able to enjoy a royal-worthy playpark and immerse themselves in nature.
Charles and Diana's sons had a den at Highgrove House
On Thursday, Prince Charles encouraged children to get stuck into playtime at the new park. The 73-year-old reportedly said: "Have you enjoyed it? Have you run around the whole thing? Which bit do you like most? You like all of it – great."
Charles and his charity The Prince's Foundation purchased Dumfries House back in 2007. Unlike other royal homes, the 2000-acre estate is not intended as a residence for the Prince and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall – instead, it is used for a range of education and training opportunities, and it is open to the public all year round.
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