The Prince and Princess of Wales were at the centre of another social media storm this week when the first video of Kate emerged since her abdominal surgery two months ago.
The Princess looked happy and healthy picking up supplies at The Royal Farms Windsor Farm Shop with her husband William, about a mile away from their home Adelaide Cottage.
With a spring in her step and clearly keen to put her doctored Mother's Day photo drama behind her, Kate, 42, went about her usual business.
She and William live in a charming, modest royal residence on King Charles' Windsor estate, having moved from their much grander 20-plus room Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace in 2022.
The couple, with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, live an idyllic life in the riverside town where locals treat their royal neighbours with much-needed respect and privacy. The kids attend the prestigious Lambrook School and are able to grow up in relative normalcy like their peers.
Here are some of the places that the Wales family like to frequent in Windsor…
The Royal Farms Windsor Farm Shop
© GettyWilliam and Kate have a fantastic local grocery store on their doorstep, just a three-minute drive from their home. They were spotted picking up supplies there earlier this week, with Kate seen holding a bag.
The Royal Farms Windsor Farm Shop, which opened in 2001, was created by converting Victorian potting sheds and constructing two new buildings which became the Farm Shop and the Coffee Shop. It sells locally sourced goods and produce from the Royal Estates and The Great Park, including meat from animals reared on the Crown Estate and private Home Park. The café serves cakes, pastries, and cream teas, as well as deli food and organic coffee.
Windsor Castle
© GettyPrince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have immense fun at Grandpa Wales' home, Windsor Castle. King Charles' residence has beautiful gardens and grounds, which the children can run riot in or ride their bikes and scooters.
The castle is also home to Queen Mary's Dolls' House, which is one of the largest and most famous dolls' houses in the world. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the dolls' house, which is complete with electricity, working lifts, running water, and luxurious royal suites. No doubt George, Charlotte and Louis will have marvelled at the Edwardian residence replica if they have seen it.
Windsor Great Park
© GettyWindsor Castle is also surrounded by extensive parkland including the Home Park, the Long Walk – a double-lined avenue of trees – and the even broader Windsor Great Park.
Members of the royal family, including the late Queen, enjoy horse riding in Windsor Great Park and we know that royal children are encouraged to learn how to ride from a young age.
George has been having lessons in Windsor since he was four and used to practice on a Shetland pony owned by William's Olympic equestrian cousin Zara Tindall.
Back in 2018, a source 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."
The park, made up of 5,000 acres, also includes an enclosed deer park that is home to a large herd of semi-wild red deer.
The Christmas Tree Shop at Windsor Great Park
© GettyA festive favourite hangout for the Wales family, the Christmas Tree Shop at Windsor Great Park is where William and Kate source their annual Christmas tree. Last year, William and the children were spotted browsing the trees on offer.
A source told HELLO!: "It's no surprise that Prince William and his family picked their tree from Windsor Great Park. The late Queen always sourced Windsor Castle's Christmas trees there, and King Charles did so last year, too. He is keeping with the family tradition."
LaplandUK
© GettyPopular celebrity family hotspot Lapland UK is also on the royals' doorstep. It's a 15-minute drive from Adelaide Cottage and is open in the winter months, where children have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus, his elves, and do fun festive activities like ice skating, toy making, and gingerbread decorating. Charlotte and George took home their very own Lepi the Snow Leopard when they went one year.
Co-founders and executive producers of LaplandUK, Mike and Alison Battle, remember the royal visit fondly, telling HELLO! it was "an honour". They add: "It was wonderful that they could enjoy this special moment to be a family at Christmas time."
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