george charlotte summer hobbies

Prince George and Princess Charlotte have the best summer plans! Swimming, tennis and more

School's out!

Content Managing Editor
July 10, 2019

Prince George and Princess Charlotte have bid farewell to the classroom for two whole months, and like many parents, we're sure the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be racking their brains to make sure their kiddies are kept busy.

William and Kate often open up about their children's hobbies; we know that George, five, and Charlotte, four, are both fans of tennis and riding and like their nature-loving mum Kate, the children love to spend time outdoors. They aren't afraid of getting their hands mucky and love nothing more than going on spider hunts in their back garden. Here at HELLO!, we've imagined how George and Charlotte will be spending their long summer break with these fun photos – take a look below.

Tennis

It's no secret that the Cambridges are mad for tennis. William and Kate installed a brand new tennis court at their country home in Norfolk so that they and their children could practice the sport. George and Charlotte have also been having lessons at Hurlingham Club in London.

Last week at Wimbledon, Kate dropped an even bigger bombshell though, when she revealed that George has whacked a ball with his favourite tennis player, Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis ace is a good friend of the Middleton family.

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Riding

Both George and Charlotte are following in the footsteps of their great-grandmother the Queen and have taken to riding from a very young age. George has even been practising with his parents' cousin, Olympic equestrian medallist, Zara Tindall.

A source has previously told HELLO!: "William and Kate were really keen to get George riding – it's something all the royals do and the whole family adore animals. But obviously he's only small so they didn't want to put him on a big horse. They asked Zara if they could use one of her Shetland ponies and he's been learning to ride on one of those."

Charlotte, meanwhile, started riding when she was just 17 months old. In 2016, Kate met Paralympic gold medallist Natasha Baker at a royal engagement. Natasha later let slip: "She emphasised that Charlotte has this passion for horses and although she doesn't echo it, she'll do her best to champion and encourage it."

MORE: Gemma Atkinson reveals problem she's been facing since daughter's arrival

Cooking

Kate often jokes about her lack of culinary skills, but there's no doubt that she and the kids love getting their hands messy in the kitchen. In 2018, the Duchess visited St Luke's Community Centre where she helped prepare food for their upcoming Commonwealth Big Lunch. Speaking to a member, Yolanda from Bolivia, Kate said: "I've done that with George and Charlotte – making pizza dough. They love it because they can get their hands messy." Turning to an interpreter, she continued: "I was just saying how I really enjoy making pizza dough with George and Charlotte because they like getting their hands messy."

Keep clicking for more photos of the royals!

Swimming

George and Charlotte are fortunate enough to have Buckingham Palace's private pool at their disposal. Kate often takes her children swimming in the Queen's pool in London and she makes sure to keep her water babies entertained when they're in the countryside. In the February 2019 half-term break, the Duchess was spotted at a luxury Norfolk hotel complex with George and Charlotte.

According to the Daily Mail, an insider revealed: "Both the children swam unaided and were super confident. They went under the quite forceful jets in the water. Kate politely asked us if it was ok for them to switch it on. They were doing little jumps off the side into her arms. Kate did not move from their sides. George did ask to go outside to use the hot tub but she said 'No'."

At one point, Charlotte did "little duck dives off the side of the pool" and shouted, "Look mummy I'm diving in." As well as swimming, mum-of-three Kate reportedly organised races for George. The insider remarked: "She said 'ready, steady go' and did a downward chopping action in the water to indicate the start of the race."

Ballet

Charlotte is growing up be the twinkle-toed member of the family. While George takes compulsory ballet lessons at his school, Thomas's Battersea, as part of the curriculum, Charlotte has been taking weekly private ballet lessons at a dance school in south London.

According to People, the little girl has been practising her pirouettes and pliés there since 2018. Kate and Charlotte also enjoyed a special mother-daughter outing one Christmas when they attended a viewing of The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House in central London. Kate spent time chatting to fellow guests, whilst Charlotte patiently held onto her hand.

Photography

The Duchess is a talented photographer, who often shares her personal snaps of her children with fans to celebrate milestones such as their birthdays. And it sounds like her elder kids are taking after her.

During a visit to an Action for Children centre in London in 2019, Kate dished out some tips to teenage students about choosing subjects. "Just look at everything around you. Maybe it's in front of you, or far away but choose your subject and focus on it," she said. "Get outside with your camera as well. George and Charlotte love it when we do that."

Arts and crafts

She's one of the most creative members of the royal family, with William calling his wife the "artsy one", so it's no wonder Kate is encouraging her children to get crafty from a young age. During a visit to an art class at Alperton Community School in Brent, Kate said: "It's something I'm loving doing with the children – papier-mâché – I forgot how messy it is, but it's really great."

The Duchess also revealed that George is showing real signs of creativity, and that he was inspired to draw with charcoal found in a fireplace at home. She said that her five-year-old had told her: "Mummy I'm going to draw a picture," adding: "That's what's so nice you can do it from all around you."

Learning languages

Although William and Kate can't speak Spanish, the parents-of-three are encouraging their children to learn a few words with their Spanish nanny, Maria Turrion Borrallo. In 2018, a source revealed to People that Charlotte is "very sweet and very confident – she's always chatting away" and that she can say a few words in Spanish. George, too, can count up to ten in the foreign language.

Gardening and playing outdoors

Kate has always emphasised the importance of spending time outdoors and being in tune with nature. During the family's visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019, it was clear to see just how much George, Charlotte and baby Louis love playing outdoors. Kate has also revealed how the family can spend "hours" hunting for spiders and other "mini beasts" in their garden.

And at the start of their 2019 summer holidays, Kate took George and Charlotte to Pensthorpe Natural Park. The family attraction is located just 25 minutes' drive away from the royals' country home, Anmer Hall.

On its official website, Pensthorpe is described as "a stunning 700-acre nature reserve located within the Wensum Valley, just 11 miles inland from the north Norfolk coast". The park is teaming with wildlife and has many different unspoilt habitats to explore, from ancient woodland to wetland walks to glorious gardens. Sounds like the perfect day out for the nature-loving royals!

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