Queen sees Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children at Balmoral for first time since March

The Queen has finally been reunited with William, Kate and their three children for the first since the country was plunged in coronavirus lockdown, according to reports.

Almost exactly five months after the Queen told Britons ‘We will meet again’ in a now historic address to the nation, she had her first socially distanced meeting with all five of the Cambridges.

It was the first face-to-face meeting involving the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis since lockdown began in March, reports The Sun.

William and Kate and the three children are said to have visited Balmoral, in Scotland, where the Queen and Prince Philip have been in a Covid- secure ‘bubble’ since the beginning of August.

It was the first face-to-face meeting involving the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis since lockdown began in March, reports The Sun

According to the Sun, sources say the Queen spent time with her great-grandchildren while outside on the royal estate.

Prince Edward, Sophie of Wessex and Princess Anne were also reportedly at the 50,000-acre estate this weekend. 

The source told The Sun: ‘Like every family, they’ve been desperate to get back together and over the moon it was possible this weekend.

‘They’ve all been up there for a few days and although there are very strict procedures with social distancing, they’ve been able to find ways of seeing each other outside.

‘It’s obviously been a difficult year for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh seeing the country dealing with the pandemic, so they were all keen to go there to show their support.’    

The Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, have been in Scotland since August 4.

The couple, who were previously isolating at Windsor Castle, travelled by car to RAF Northolt, in west London, where they boarded a private jet to Aberdeen airport, where they were met by a driver and whisked off to Balmoral, roughly an hour away.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Scotland for the start of their summer holiday. The couple travelled by private jet from RAF Northolt, in west London, to Aberdeen airport where they were met by driver, pictured

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had been isolating at Windsor Castle with a reduced household since March 19. Pictured, the quiet streets around Windsor last month

They are expected to remain there until early October and will be joined by family members throughout their stay.

Princess Eugenie is believed to have visited earlier this month with her husband Jack Brooksbank, while it is not known if Prince Andrew has made the trip yet.

It is thought staff at the estate are minimising their contact with people outside the royal household in order to create a ‘Balmoral bubble’ designed to keep the Queen and Prince Philip safe.  

The couple had been isolating at Windsor Castle with a reduced household since March 19.

Although she has been unable to carry out many engagements in person, the Queen remained active in her royal duties, taking part in video call meetings and conducting her weekly audience with the Prime Minister via telephone.

Balmoral: The Royal Family’s summer retreat 

A group of aides have already travelled up to the Scottish home of the Royal Family to prepare the castle for the couple’s arrival. The Queen and Philip will stay in the main castle, pictured

Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, having been first leased in 1848.

In the autumn of 1842, two and a half years after her marriage to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria paid her first visit to Scotland. They were so struck with the Highlands that they resolved to return. A further visit to Perthshire and then Ardverikie encouraged them to seize the opportunity to purchase Balmoral. 

After Queen Victoria bought the Castle in 1852, plans were made to build a new castle about 100 yards north-west of the old building designed by the city of Aberdeen architect William Smith.

On 28 September 1853 the foundation stone of the new Castle was laid by Queen Victoria. Prince Albert took a great interest in the design and construction which was completed by 1856, also in the Scottish Baronial style.

The Castle is constructed from local granite, which was precision cut using the modern machinery of the day, producing a much smoother finish to the building than usual.

Prince Albert set about landscaping the area, starting a programme of improvements lasting several years, which was done in accordance with a model he had constructed in sand. The main works were completed by 1859 and included new houses, stables, workshops and schools.

Royals continue to make improvements to the castle and the ruggedly beautiful surroundings have captivated generations of royals since. 

The Queen has visited Balmoral almost every year of her reign and it holds a special place in her heart.  

 

Meanwhile the Duke of Edinburgh came out of retirement to perform a long-distance royal engagement with his daughter-in-law the Duchess of Cornwall, who remained in Gloucestershire.

The couple were most recently seen together at the wedding of their granddaughter Princess Beatrice, 31, and property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who tied the knot in secret on July 17 at Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor.

That same day the Queen knighted Colonel Sir Tom Moore, 100, in recognition of his extraordinary fundraising efforts.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 38, have been spending lockdown at their Norfolk home Amner Hall with their children, Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.

Prince William last month revealed his patience has been tested while homeschooling his children in lockdown, and that he’s been struggling to teach Year 2 maths. 

Prince William has revealed his patience has been tested while homeschooling his children in lockdown, and that he’s been struggling to teach Year 2 maths. He is pictured, right,  in September with Princess Charlotte (left), Kate Middle (second left) and Prince George (second right) as the royal children attended their first day of school for the year

Prince George is in his final year of infant school at Thomas’s Battersea, in south west London.

His little sister Princess Charlotte joined him in September and is currently in the reception class. 

But the royal children have been homeschooled since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which Prince William admits has been a struggle.  

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Lives That Peter Crouch Podcast, which was recorded partially via Zoom and partially at Kensington Palace in March, the heir said: ‘I’ve found it pretty testing, not going to lie, trying to keep the children engaged in some kind of work, it’s been an interesting few months.

‘I’ve learned through homeschooling that my patience is a lot shorter than I thought it was, that’s probably been the biggest eye opener for me, and that my wife has super patience,’ the duke revealed.