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Prince William, alongside his brother Prince Harry and uncles Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, visited Balmoral on the night of Queen Elizabeth’s death but were unable to reach the estate before the late monarch died.
This weekend, Prince William made a trip to Balmoral Castle, the first time he since Queen Elizabeth died last month.
Prince William spent his time at Balmoral Castle deer stalking, which is the act of culling ageing stags which would likely die in the upcoming winter, it has been reported.
The Prince of Wales is reported to have stayed at Craigowan Lodge, a cottage on the Balmoral estate which is usually used for less formal occasions.
He was not accompanied by his wife Kate Middleton or their children, and a spokesperson for Kensington Palace declined to comment when asked by the Daily Mail.
However, another source told the Daily Mail that: “He stayed at Craigowan Lodge, where Her Majesty used to stay. He was there just for the weekend.”
Stalking deer was a favourite pastime of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who taught both Prince William and Prince Harry the activity when they were children.
King Charles is also a keen deer stalker, and Princess Diana would jokingly refer to him as “my killer Wales”.
The first in line to the throne shot his first stag at 14-years old, and, last year Prince William took Prince George grouse shooting, another loved sport of the Royal Family in which red grouse birds are hunted.
Historically, Balmoral Castle was a retreat for the Royal Family to have more privacy and to engage in loved hobbies such as hunting, fishing, and Prince Philip was known for his love of barbecuing.
Princess Eugenie, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, once described Balmoral Castle as the place the monarch was “most happy”.
She said: “I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”
READ MORE: King Charles left Balmoral Castle untouched after Queen’s death
Prince William and Kate Middleton have continued their support for mental health as they announced that they recorded a special programme for World Mental Health Day with BBC Radio.
The royal couple will speak about mental health toolboxes people can use to develop coping skills as well as help those with anxiety and depression.
The Prince said: “A toolbox is quite a useful analogy to use. A lot of people don’t realise what they need until it comes along
“You could be living one life one minute and something massively changes and you realise you don’t necessarily have the tools or the experience to be able to tackle that.”
Prince William also added both he and Kate wanted to “have a meaningful conversation about mental health”, and the Princess of Wales added: “The first step for all of us is to keep having those conversations and keep reaching out for help.”
The programme will air on Tuesday on Radio 1, 1Xtra and on the Asian Network.
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