Their royal rugrats! Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Prince William are keeping busy while performing their royal duties in Bhutan and India, but the parents of two are missing their little ones, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The couple opened up to media on the tour, including Us Weekly, particularly about their kids, while visiting the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in the Himalayas on Friday, April 15.
“Massively, yes, of course [we miss them],” Duchess Kate, 34, told Us. “And we’re looking forward to seeing them. They’re in good hands.” Additionally, she noted that the couple have been in contact with their children “many times.”
Us Weekly’s European Bureau Chief Omid Scobie was on hand for the eventful day, as he’s among the select pool of reporters joining the duke and duchess on their 2016 royal tour.
The couple had quite the workout on Friday. They began their three-hour trek at 10 a.m. and took a few breaks before making it to the top, where they were welcomed by monks who chanted and rang bells and played trumpets.
“It was quite tough on the way up. … It was a little bit cheeky on the second part, definitely,” William, 33, said afterward. “With the mountains like this and the temples at the top, it was just stunning to walk up there and see all the scenery and to listen to some of the history and religion of the country. It’s really important when you come on a trip like this to see some of that.”
“It was an amazing experience,” the duchess chimed in. “I feel very lucky and fortunate to see such beautiful scenery. And, as William said, learn about the country.”
She jokingly added: “It’s a great way to burn off the curry.”
Afterward, the pair browsed through items at a craft market. William bought a small bronze tiger, presumably for his son, while Kate bought dark blue earrings worth 500 rupees.
Next time, Kate and William hope that Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 11 months, can join them. “It will be lovely if the children could come as well, definitely,” the proud dad said.
“We did actually see one family up there with a small child on their front,” Kate explained. “It was very brave of them.”
One member of the royal family who didn’t complete the trek, though? Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales last visited the monastery in 1988. “My father didn’t make it to the top. So that’s something I’ll be reminding him of when I see him,” William mused.
Sonam Penjor, who works in the Bhutan information department, recalled Prince Charles’ trip. “He only make it to the cafeteria, the halfway point. So he took some nice shots but he was not able to come to this point. Maybe altitude affected him. They wanted to recapture his father’s memories but go farther,” Penjor explained on Friday. “I think his son and daughter-in-law wanted to beat him!”
