Kate Middleton's wholesome hobby wins her huge brownie points with King Charles

11 November 2023 , 15:51

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Kate Middleton is famously outdoorsy. (Image: Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales is known to be seriously passionate about her hobbies - just look at how competitive she gets when undertaking sporting challenges with her husband Prince William during royal engagements.

From physical activity to photography: Kate has been seen to dedicate herself to her hobbies and really get stuck into them.

While one of them might not be as well known to be one of her favourite pastimes it is also likely to have had the bonus of helping her bond further with her father-in-law King Charles: gardening.

The King is known to be a passionate horticulturalist and has long advocated for organic farming methods, so it's safe to assume these two will have a lot to chat about whenever they spend time together.

Kate loves gardening (Getty Images)

A few years ago in 2019, Kate designed a garden for the Chelsea Flower Show and worked with Davies White Landscape Architects to bring her vision to life. According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which runs the flower show, she designed to put "families and childhood at the heart of its design."

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This is no surprise considering that Kate has called her work in early years development her "life's work". The RHS noted that the treehouse was the "centrepiece" of her garden, "creating a place for children and families to play together. The waterfall and stream also encouraged play – from floating Poohsticks and chasing them along the stream to making dams with stones and sand to attract more wildlife."

However, Kate also clearly shares her father-in-law's passion for the environment, because the design "wasn't just for people either – the flowers, fruits, and seeds provided food for wildlife and nectar for bees and butterflies, while the plants offered nesting sites and shelter for birds and other animals."

Earlier this year, a photo of Kate in full bee-keeping get-up was released, and she admitted back in 2021 that she had begun keeping bees and making her own honey. These pursuits are likely to have earned her some serious brownie points with King Charles, who has been dedicated for most of his adult life to raising awareness about environmentalism.

House and Garden have previously reported that the gardens at Highgrove - his Gloucestershire residence - have been his "overriding passion" and his "pride and joy". On select dates between April and September, they are even open to the public, so you can see for yourself the handiwork of our green-fingered monarch.

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Emma Mackenzie