Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, the three children of Prince William and Kate Middleton, have been taking riding lessons.
The young children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent time during the COVID-19 lockdown learning to ride ponies at their Anmer Hall country home in Norfolk. The children are now reportedly “avid riders,” according to the U.K’s Sunday Times.
George, 7, Charlotte, 5, and Louis, who is nearly 3 years old, spent time developing their riding skills in preparation for summer when they will hopefully get a chance to go riding with their great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth at her Windsor and Balmoral summer residences.
Queen Elizabeth has been riding since she was four years old
Horse-riding is an established part of the Royal Family tradition.
Queen Elizabeth, who is also known to be an experienced and enthusiastic equestrian, is reportedly taking a keen interest in her great-grandchildren’s progress.
The 94-year-old Queen has been riding horses since she was a very young child. She received her first pony, a Shetland named Peggy, for her fourth birthday.
Although she is in her 90s, the Queen has been spotted on multiple occasions in recent years and months riding on the extensive grounds of Windsor castle.
Charles and Diana taught William how to ride
The children’s father, Prince William, also received his first pony, a Shetland named Smokey, when he was four years old.
His parents, Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, taught him how to ride.
A photo showed William’s late mom, Diana, teaching him to ride his Shetland pony at their private Highgrove residence.
George, Charlotte, and Louis all started learning to ride early
George, the oldest of the three siblings, started taking riding lessons before his siblings. He was pictured seated on a Shetland pony during a family visit to Canada in 2016.
Charlotte also started taking lessons when she was only 17 months old, according to the Daily Mail.
Royals have won medals in equestrian events in the past
Royals have won medals in international equestrian events in the past.
Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, is an accomplished equestrian.
In 2006, she won the Eventing World Championship in Aachen, Germany. On her horse Toytown, Zara won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
She followed in the footsteps of her mother, Princess Anne, who was also an accomplished rider.
Anne, the second child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, also won a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 1971 and silver medals in 1975, according to Monsters and Critics.
Anne competed in the Olympic Games in 1976.