Princess Kate's unique relationship with Queen Elizabeth allowed for an exceptional privilege during her first visit to Balmoral Castle. According to reports, the late Queen made a special effort to ensure Kate felt welcomed into the royal family. After Kate Middleton began dating Prince William, Queen Elizabeth went above and beyond to make Kate's initial visit to Balmoral comfortable.
Every year, the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children, continue the cherished royal tradition of visiting Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Since childhood, Prince William and his siblings—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—have enjoyed trips to the Scottish Highlands retreat, creating treasured memories with their great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
During Kate’s early visits to Balmoral, Royal author Katie Nicholl reveals that the Queen granted her a unique privilege: permission to bring her camera and photograph the estate and the surrounding countryside. While this might seem like a small gesture, Nicholl, in her book *Kate: The Future Queen*, points out that it was a significant act of goodwill from the Queen. Up until that time, the Queen had only briefly met Kate at Peter and Autumn Phillips' wedding. However, she made a special effort to make Kate feel at home, even allowing her to take photos at Balmoral.
The Queen’s readiness to include Kate in the royal inner circle was evident through this invitation. The Queen, who rarely lowered her guard, reserved her most personal moments for only her closest friends and family. Nicholl noted that this gesture indicated the Queen’s genuine effort to integrate Kate into the family.
Last year, Kate revealed a heartwarming, previously unseen photo she took at Balmoral, showing Queen Elizabeth surrounded by her great-grandchildren and grandchildren in the summer of 2022, just a few weeks before her passing. The image captured the former monarch seated comfortably on a sofa, beaming with her beloved family around her. This photo was reminiscent of an earlier family portrait taken by Kate with the late Prince Philip and the Queen, featuring many of the same children.
On April 20, 2023, which would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday and her first since her death in September 2022, Kate shared the updated photo on Twitter. The Queen spent her final weeks at Balmoral, where she appointed former Prime Minister Liz Truss in her last official duty just two days before her death.
