Royal getaway! Prince William and Duchess Kate treated their three kids to a magical vacation on the slopes in the French Alps.
“During the pandemic, George begged William to take him skiing once everything reopened and his dad made it happen,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly about the family’s recent trip to Courchevel, France, “during their Easter holidays.”
While the family of five returned to the U.K. in time for Easter Sunday — they were on holiday when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle briefly visited with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle — they made sure to make the most of their time away. William, 39, and Kate, 40, saw the retreat “as the perfect opportunity for family time,” the insider tells Us, noting that the trip “was a real family affair.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — along with their children, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3 — stayed at a family friend’s “$5 million, six-bedroom chalet,” the source reveals, explaining that the two oldest kids “had private ski lessons and practiced their French.”
“Kate and William feel it’s important for the children to be multilingual,” the insider adds.
The kids also excelled on the slopes. “Charlotte was racing down the mountain by the end of the holiday. She’s fearless!” the source tells Us. “George was slightly more cautious, but they’re both great skiers and competed in fun brother/sister ski races. They had an absolute blast.”
The family enjoyed the fresh snowfall both on and off the mountain. “The kids love playing in the snow — they had snowball fights and built snowmen with Kate and William,” the source divulges.
The five royals not only played well, they also made sure to dine well, too.
“Kate and William dined at Le Pilatus, which brought back so many fond memories of when they were last there, and all the family ate cheese fondue, per the insider, who noted that the parents still carved out some time for themselves away from the kids.
“William and Kate managed to squeeze in a romantic candlelit date night before they left,” the source says. “It was just what they needed to ignite the spark after such a hectic couple of years.”
Over the past few years, William and Kate have dealt with everything from the fallout of the Sussexes’ bombshell CBS interview in March 2021 to “filling in,” per the source, for the 96-year-old monarch as she recovered from COVID-19 earlier this year.
In the midst of the hubbub of royal life, the former college sweethearts are looking forward to another family celebration. “Now [that] Kate and William are back, they’re planning a fun-themed tea party for Louis’ 4th birthday,” the source says.
Louis, who will turn 4 on Saturday, April 23, celebrates his birthday just two days after his great-grandmother. The queen will mark her own birthday in style with the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony, held in June. Her Majesty celebrated the actual date of her birth “privately” at her Sandringham residence on Thursday, April 21, Buckingham Palace told Us in a statement.
