Princess Kate's special bond with Queen Elizabeth that allowed rare Balmoral privilege

On Princess Kate's first visit to Balmoral, after she began dating Prince William, the late Queen reportedly made a special effort to ensure Kate felt welcomed into the royal fold.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children, continue the cherished Royal Family tradition of spending time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland each year.

Prince William has fond memories of visiting the Scottish Highlands retreat since childhood, and now, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have had the opportunity to experience the estate, creating lasting memories with their late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

According to royal author Katie Nicholl, Queen Elizabeth granted Kate a rare privilege during her early visits to Balmoral: permission to bring her camera and take photographs of the estate and its surrounding landscapes.

Nicholl, in her book Kate: The Future Queen, noted that while this might seem like a small gesture to some, it was a significant act of kindness from the Queen.

"Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral," Nicholl wrote.

This invitation, along with the privilege of photographing the estate, was a clear indication that the Queen was ready to welcome Kate into the royal inner circle.

"As a woman who has lived her entire life in the public eye, the Queen rarely lets her guard down, and very few apart from her family and closest friends get to see the real Elizabeth," Nicholl added.

Last year, Kate shared a touching, previously unseen photograph she had taken at Balmoral, capturing Queen Elizabeth surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren during the summer of 2022.

The photograph, taken just weeks before the Queen's passing, shows the former monarch sitting on a sofa, smiling warmly with her beloved 'Gan Gan' surrounded by the younger generation of royals.

This image echoed another family photo Kate had taken years earlier, featuring many of the same children alongside the Queen and the late Prince Philip.

The new photograph was shared by Kate on what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 97th birthday in April 2023, marking her first birthday since her passing in September 2022. The Queen spent her final weeks at Balmoral, where she carried out her last official duty by appointing former Prime Minister Liz Truss, just two days before her death.