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Princess Kate had developed a unique bond with Queen Elizabeth over the years, and this connection granted her a rare privilege - being allowed to photograph the scenic Balmoral Castle estate in Scotland. As Kate embarked on her first visit to the Queen's beloved Highland retreat in the early days of her marriage to Prince William, the late monarch went out of her way to make the young princess feel embraced by the royal family.
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The tradition for generations of the royal family has been to spend time every summer at Balmoral Castle. Prince William in particular had visited the castle every year since childhood and has many nostalgic memories of exploring the beautiful grounds and surroundings. Now, William and Kate's three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis - have also been able to experience the splendor of Balmoral and create lasting memories with their great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.
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According to royal author Katie Nicholl, the Queen granted Kate an extraordinary privilege during one of her initial visits to Balmoral - allowing her to photograph the estate and its breathtaking scenery. While this may seem like a trivial gesture, Nicholl emphasized its significance. Prior to their encounters at Peter and Autumn Phillips' wedding, the Queen had barely interacted with Kate. Yet she went out of her way to warmly welcome her to Balmoral and bestow upon her the rare permission to capture the wonders of the estate through photographs.
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This invitation accompanied by the honor of documenting Balmoral through her photography lens was a clear sign that the Queen was ready to embrace Kate as a cherished member of her inner circle. Being in the public eye her entire life, the Queen is not one to show her true self easily and reserves that privilege for only her closest family and trusted confidantes.
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In 2021, Kate graciously unveiled a touching never-before-seen photograph she had taken at Balmoral the previous summer. It captured a joyful moment where the Queen was surrounded by her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren - mere weeks before she passed. Seated on a sofa with a warm, genuine smile, the late monarch was surrounded by her "gangan" or grandchildren of the younger royal generation. Remarkably, this image echoed another family portrait Kate had taken years prior featuring many of the same children alongside the Queen and the late Prince Philip.
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In an emotionally significant gesture, Kate chose to unveil the fresh Balmoral snapshot for Queen Elizabeth's would-be 97th birthday in April 2023 - commemorating the first celebration without her physical presence since her death in September 2022. The Queen's final months were peacefully spent within the embrace of her beloved Balmoral, where she fulfilled her last official duty just two days before her passing by appointing Liz Truss as Prime Minister.
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Kate's privilege of photographing at Balmoral demonstrated the strong bond and trust that had developed between her and the Queen. It was a clear signal to the world that the late monarch welcomed Kate wholeheartedly as a key member of the royal family. By unveiling touching family photos taken at Balmoral, Kate paid meaningful tribute to her grandmother-in-law and the place that held such treasured memories for the Queen in her later years. The bond between these two remarkable women, though different in station, was deeply caring and consequential in its outcome.
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