KATE stunned fellow passengers as she took an economy flight to Scotland with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, was spotted with Charlotte, seven, and Louis, four, en route to Balmoral as the down-to-earth royals took a commercial flight. Prince William, 40, reportedly travelled separately with their eldest child Prince George, nine.
A surprised member of the public shared a video on TikTok of Kate disembarking the plane. The TikTok user said: “On a flight to Scotland, Kate Middleton, both kids, nanny and security 2 rows in front of me. “Could get a private jet or helicopter but keeping it simple, flying economy,” added the user. “She even got up halfway through the flight to get her daughter’s iPad. “And yes she was stunning, even gave me a smile while looking back at row behind her to talk to her son.
“No one on board took any photos or videos. “Just a mum taking her children on holiday to see grandmother, but there was a buzz on board.” Kate looked typically chic for the journey in a midi skirt, khaki blazer and cream shoulder bag. Charlotte wore a floral dress, while little Louis was smart in navy shorts and a blue shirt. It comes as the Queen is spending her annual summer break at Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands.
The monarch traditionally spends the summer at her Scottish retreat where she is joined by other members of the Royal Family. The Cambridges’ trip to Aberdeenshire comes ahead of their move to Windsor. The family-of-five are relocating from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park. The Cambridges are seeking a life away from the goldfish bowl of their official residence in west London in a bid to put their children first and give them more freedom.
A royal source said: “This is very much a decision that two parents have made to give their children the ‘most normal’ start possible. “Kensington Palace can be a little bit of a fishbowl. “They wanted to be able to give George, Charlotte and Louis a bit more freedom than they have living in central London. “It’s very much a decision that’s been led by the kids.” Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A will remain their London residence and they will also keep their Norfolk country mansion Anmer Hall. The move will mean they are closer to the monarch, 96, who is now mainly based at Windsor Castle.
They will also be closer to Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton, who live in the Berkshire village of Bucklebury. George, Charlotte and Louis will start at the co-educational private Lambrook School near Ascot in September.
Kensington Palace said in a statement that the Duke and Duchess were “hugely grateful” to Thomas’s Battersea where George and Charlotte had a “happy start to their education” and were “pleased to have found a school for all three of their children which shares a similar ethos and values to Thomas’s”.
