Kate Middleton is looking forward to future international travel with her children.
During her St. Patrick’s Day visit to the Wellington Barracks in London, the Princess of Wales, 43, expressed her hopes to take Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, abroad with her and Prince William on upcoming trips.
“George finds it fascinating that he has been to Australia and New Zealand,” Kate shared, referring to her and William’s 2014 royal tour of the countries when George was a baby.
“I would like to go back there with them now,” she added, sharing a relatable reason for why they haven’t yet: “It’s finding time to do that.”
Princess Kate added, “But I love to travel – yes, it’s a long flight.”
Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George meet a Bilby called George at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, on April 20, 2014.
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
As for other places she hopes to visit with her family?
“I love the Middle East because that’s familiar to me [from] growing up,” Kate shared, referring to the time she spent in Jordan as a child due to her father’s job as a manager for British Airways in Amman. “There are so many opportunities now to travel, I think it’s brilliant to experience it.”
While many international trips for William and Kate come with royal visits, the princess said that she and her husband try to balance their official obligations with family time.
“We tend to go further afield when it’s official visits, it’s being able to carve out time to experience these countries in a more private capacity,” she explained. “Otherwise, you end up seeing lots of insides of amazing buildings, but you don’t get to meet that many people.”
“It’s making sure that you can combine a bit of work with the children,” Kate added.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (C), accompanied by their parents the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot on September 7, 2022.
Jonathan Brady – Pool/Getty
However, this year could mark a change in royal travel for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ family. Prince George turns 12 on July 22, which may trigger a protocol in which he is no longer allowed to travel with his father.
In the past, direct heirs to the British throne traveled separately to secure the future of the monarchy in the event of a tragic accident. For Prince William, this change happened at age 12, though he and Kate have not yet made any official announcements as to how Prince George may be affected.
If tradition continues with the new generation, Prince William and Prince George would need the permission of King Charles in order to fly together.
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Princess Diana and Prince Charles pose with their sons Princes Harry and William on board royal yacht Britannia during their visit to Venice, Italy in May 1985.
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Despite his proximity to the British throne, a palace insider told PEOPLE in 2023 how William and Kate were working together to try and give Prince George a normal childhood.
“It’s a massive balancing act,” the source said at the time. “William and Kate are doing the right thing, protecting him so he can have as normal a childhood as possible, but he’s also dipping into duties as a future monarch.”