Prince George and Princess Charlotte are following in the Queen's footsteps after sad sacrifice

Britain's Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, with her brother, Britain's Prince George of Cambridge, arrives for her first day of school at Thomas's Battersea in London on September 5, 2019.
(Image credit: Getty Images / AARON CHOWN/AFP)

Prince George and Princess Charlotte have found a special way to connect to the Queen, following in her footsteps and taking up the hobby she sadly had to give up.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte are following in their great-grandmother’s footsteps by taking up horse-riding.

According to the Mirror, Prince William and Kate's eldest children have fallen in love with the Queen's favourite pastime, after "trotting about on their very first ponies" during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stand on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour, this year marking the Queen's 90th birthday at The Mall on June 11, 2016 in London, England.

William is said to be "thrilled" about their newfound passion for riding, as he too learned when he was young.

The kids no doubt got in a lot of practice, after spending much of the Covid-19 lockdowns at their country home of Amner Hall in Norfolk.

This will be bittersweet news for the Queen, as after months of health issues, she has been forced to give up several of her hobbies, including horse riding and even walking her beloved corgis.

Her Majesty was instructed by aides to ‘pace herself' after being pictured using both a walking stick and is now using a wheelchair much of the time.

Queen Elizabeth II attends the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Home Park on May 15, 2004 in Windsor, England.

In 2021, a source told the Mirror, “The Queen is sad she can not get out on her horse, which is one of her favorite pastimes, but she is resting and taking every precaution to get back to full fitness.” 

Giving up riding will have been a major blow for the Queen, who has been riding since she was a child. However, she can now enjoy her hobby through her great-grandkids and watch them hone their skills!

Queen Elizabeth II seen horse riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle on June 2, 2006 in Windsor, England.

It’s a passion that clearly runs in the royal family. In fact, Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall have both competed in Olympic horse riding, with Anne being the first-ever royal to do so!

Naomi Jamieson
Lifestyle News Writer

Naomi is a Lifestyle News Writer with the Lifestyle team and has recently earned her Gold Standard Diploma in Journalism from the NCTJ. She has a background in design, having studied Illustration at Plymouth University but has taken a leap into the world of journalism after always having a passion for writing. She currently writes pieces on beauty, fashion, and entertainment for Goodto.com and My Imperfect Life.