The kind-hearted royal hobby that Princess Charlotte might soon pick up
The Princeand Princess of Wales's daughter Princess Charlotte is thought to enjoy a whole host of hobbies including gymnastics, ballet and horse riding.
During her parents' tour of Ireland, the then-Duchess shared: "Charlotte is really into gymnastics, she's doing cartwheels, handstands, everything. It's so good for their basic skills of balance and coordination."
Sporty hobbies aside, Princess Charlotte may soon add another string to her bow if she decides to follow in the footsteps of her mother Princess Kate by becoming a Brownie – a program designed for girls aged 7 to 10 with a focus on teaching new skills, building friendships and promoting creativity.
But did you know that the wholesome program has a long-standing royal history that dates back to 1920? Keep scrolling to discover which royal ladies have signed up to the organisation…
Princess Kate's Brownie roots
Princess Kate and her sister Pippa Middleton joined their local Brownies club in 1990. "She was quite easy-going," Brownie pack leader June Scutter told People. "They were just ordinary children, nothing different from any others."
While Kate's Brownies days are well and truly behind her, the royal mother-of-three continues to show her support in her role as royal patron of the Scout Association – a role which she took on in 2012 following her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011.
And back in 2015, she told a group of Scouts and Girl Guides during a visit to Caernarfon in North Wales that she was keen to put Charlotte down for the junior Brownies group, Rainbows.
A royal hobby
The royal family's connection to the Girl Guides is thought to date back to 1920 when the Princess Royal, Princess Mary became the President of The Girl Guide Association. Princess Margaret became the first member of the British royal family to register as a Brownie in 1937, while her older sister, the late Queen Elizabeth II, registered as a Guide aged 11.
The Palace created the 1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company which included 20 Guides and 14 Brownies made up of children of the royal household and its employees. According to the official Girlguiding website, the royal siblings and their friends mastered a plethora of new skills within the grounds of Buckingham Palace, including how to pitch tents, how to cook on campfires and first aid. They also earnt challenge badges like any other Guides.
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Reflecting on her time as a Guide, the late monarch previously said: "I have fond memories of my years as a Sea Ranger, and of becoming Chief Ranger of the British Empire, and then Patron of the Guiding Association. While the core values remain constant, I have been delighted to watch it evolve, led by the ambitions and needs of the girls of today."
In 1959, Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne joined the royal Brownie unit aged nine. Meanwhile, Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, joined the 7th Kensington Brownie Pack.
The most recent royal to join a girl-guiding group was Lady Louise who enrolled as a Brownie and later as a Girl Guide. Back in 2014, Lady Louise and her mother Duchess Sophie invited a group of Brownies to Buckingham place to celebrate the organisation's 100th birthday.
The mother-daughter duo threw a party at the palace complete with games, tennis and a bespoke birthday cake. Duchess Sophie has been President of GirlGuiding UK since 2003 following the death of Princess Margaret in 2002.
