Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, shares her hobby of beekeeping on World Bee Day. (Photo: Ian Vogler – Pool/Getty Images)
In the midst of all the coronation hype, Princess of Wales Kate Middleton is sharing a beloved hobby.
In a new photo posted to the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account on Saturday, the King shows off bees while wearing the standard protective uniform. The image, taken by royal family photographer Matt Porteous, was posted in honor of World Bee Day.
“We rave about #WorldBeeDay,” says the headline. “Bees are an important part of our ecosystem and today is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the critical role bees and other pollinators play in the health of people and the planet.”
Royal fans expressed enthusiasm in the comments on the photo. One wrote: “Is there anything this lady can’t do? I don’t think so.” Another added, “Even in that outfit she looks stunning! Whatever she wears, she always looks so classy and beautiful.”
The Princess of Wales is no novice to beekeeping. In 2021, during a visit to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London, she revealed that she keeps bees at Anmer Hall – and even lets children at the museum taste some of her home-grown honey. The visit was in Award for the Museum’s Urban Nature Project.
The mother of three isn’t the only queen fascinated by bees. Since 2020, Queen Camilla, also a beekeeper, has been President of Bees For Development, an organization that provides free information about beekeeping and promotes biodiversity.
In a statement about the organisation, the newly crowned Queen explained: “I have a personal reason to support this charity as I keep bees myself.” Every year the honey from my hives is harvested and sold for charity and I am delighted that this year’s honey harvest will help Bees for Development continue their very important work.”
Middleton’s brother James Middleton is also a bee fan. He occasionally posts photos of his beekeeping work on Instagram and said in a 2019 post that the hobby is good for his mental health.
“For me, beekeeping is a meditation,” he shared at the time. “It’s a chance to get away from my mind and get absorbed in something so much that hours can go by without realizing it. Meditation is a wonderful tool against stress, anxiety and depression and does not have to be practiced just sitting down!“