Sometimes the stresses of royal life call for a visit to an even more mystical place. As such, Kate Middleton recently reserved a delightful surprise for her children: a visit to the set of the upcoming Harry Potter prequel series. The exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the new wizarding world took place on Friday, September 26, according to the Daily Mail. “It was really special. Kate and the children met the young actors and director on set,” a source told the publication. “There was only one night of filming in this location, so it really was a magical occasion.”
During their visit, Middleton and her three children with Prince William—George, Charlotte, and Louis—met the three stars of the series: Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Arabella Stanton (Hermione) and Alastair Stour (Ron). During their visit, the film set took over Windsor Great Park, not far from the royals’ new home at Forest Lodge. The park was transformed into Hogsmeade Station, the famous terminal of the Hogwarts Express. It was a golden opportunity for 7-year-old Louis, the youngest member of the family, who took the opportunity to board the train. “He really seemed to love it. It’s most kids’ dream to ride the Hogwarts Express,” the source told the British media.
The Harry Potter saga, adapted from the novels by J.K. Rowling, has long been a favorite of the royal family. Back in 2013, Middleton—then pregnant with her first child, William, and Prince Harry visited Warner Bros. Studios. After battling it out with their wands, they discovered the recreated set of Diagon Alley, the emblematic shopping street for wizards.
Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William, raise their wands on the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films during the inauguration of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden on April 26, 2013 in London, England.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
That trio aren’t the only royals who have been bewitched by the wizarding universe. Queen Camilla and King Charles III are also big fans of the magically empowered band of friends. And it could well be that Louis’s fandom is owed to his grandparents. In 2024, the sovereign revealed that she read the Harry Potter books to George, Charlotte, and Louis, admitting, however, that the king was much better at the exercise. “I’m incapable of imitating voices, even for all the gold in the world, I’m completely rubbish at it,” Camilla confided on a recent episode of her podcast The Queen’s Reading Room. “I was a terrible actress at school, and I’ve never been able to master the art of imitation. But my husband is brilliant at it. He can imitate any voice.”
The Queen continued of King Charles: “He gets down on his knees and crawls with them for hours, you know, making funny noises and laughing, and my grandchildren love him, they really do. He reads Harry Potter and he can imitate all the different voices, and I think the kids really appreciate that.”
Extended cast members for the forthcoming Harry Potter series include John Lithgow (who earned an Emmy for playing Winston Churchill on Netflix’s ripped-from-the-headlines royal series The Crown) as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, among others. The show is set for release on HBO in early 2027.S o the rest of the world will have to wait a while longer to catch a glimpse at what the royals have already had the privilege of experiencing.
Originally published in Vanity Fair France