32 activities the royals do as a family when they get together - from relatable pastimes to special traditions

Being, arguably, the most famous royal family across the world, there's a lot we already know about the British Royal Family. 

From weird facts to long-held traditions, they've often let fans peek into a world of glittering tiara moments, spectacular royal weddings and jaw-dropping royal tours. But, when they're hanging out together behind closed doors and enjoying some quality time together, what exactly do they do? 

From relatable hobbies to shared passions, this is what we know...

32 activities the royals do as a family when they get together

Walking their many, many dogs

If there's one thing we know the royals do when they come together as a family, it's pay a lot of attention to their numerous canine companions. 

Sharing a love for dogs, each member seems to be loyal to a particular breed. The late Queen Elizabeth famously had over 30 Corgis in her lifetime, whereas the now King Charles has had a number of breeds, including a few Golden Retrievers. 

Queen Camilla has a couple of rescued Jack Terriers, and Prince William and Kate Middleton have had spaniels, Orla and Lupo. 

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Fishing

An interesting fact about King Charles: he's known to be an avid angler, and it is likely something he learnt from his summers spent away from prying eyes and spending quality time with his father, the late Prince Philip. His love of the sport/pastime saw him become the patron of the Salmon and Trout Association for a time. 

Balmoral has many lakes and bodies of water and it is said to be a ripe spot for salmon fishing. So, a spot of exercise and bonding time with the family and then a healthy, omega-3 rich dinner. Win win (unless you were the salmon).

Since his succession, the title has now been passed to the Duke of Northumberland. 

They are known to have a ball - literally

One thing the Royal Family were known to do that feels distinctly unique to them is throw a ball during their summer holidays. 

Known as the Ghillies Ball, the traditional dance - thought to have been a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth - dates back to when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert would throw a summer party for their staff, known in Gaelic as "ghillies".

Designed as an event when staff could let loose with the Royal Family, the annual dance was so popular and a well-known activity shared by the family that it featured in an episode of Netflix's The Crown.

The late Queen loved one specific game

Many only knew the late Queen Elizabeth as the longest reigning monarch in British history, having celebrated 70 years on the throne in February 2022 before her death in September that same year. 

But she was, underneath those fabulous tiara moments, just like any other mother, wife, and grandmother who cherished silly games and memories with the family. 

According to royal author Brian Hoey, the late Queen loved playing a game called “lucky dip” on New Year's Eve. In his book At Home with the Queen, he describes the game, which entailed staff bringing in a tub filled with sawdust and hidden pieces of paper, with random predictions for the following year written on them. Brian explains, “Each member of the Royal Family takes a lucky dip and if their particular forecast is not very favourable the poor footman gets the blame.”

They play Charades - and Queen Elizabeth wasn't afraid of mimicking politicians

For such a traditional family, of course they reportedly loved a traditional parlour game - and many reports suggest the royals loved a spot of Charades. 

When Prince Harry first brought Meghan Markle to the Sandringham Christmas, the Suits star had the perfect opportunity to showcase her skills and impress her future in-laws with some top-notch acting. 

According to The Express, the Queen was an excellent mimic and wasn't afraid of mimicking former Prime Ministers and US Presidents. 

Getting lost in a good book

The royals share a love of reading and there are a few wordsmiths in the family! Queen Camilla is particularly known for her love of reading, kicking off the Queen’s Reading Room in 2024, a charity aimed to celebrate and promote the power of reading. On the official website she writes, "With their extraordinary power to educate and inspire, books – from authors around the globe – have enriched my life since I was a child."

The Duchess of York has penned several novels, spanning a range of genres, from historical romances to illustrated children's books.

Cooking for one another

One might have images of the Royal Family not really lifting a finger in the kitchen, instead having the finest foods whipped up for them. 

However, by most accounts, excluding special occasions, when they're hanging out more informally together, they all love to indulge in a bit of cooking. 

In a Vanity Fair article, accounts of William and Kate's quaint nights in included Kate "cooking William’s favorite supper, roast chicken." The now Princess of Wales also reportedly "started making homemade pots of fruit jam while her husband is at work."

She famously gave a homemade jam to the Queen during her first Christmas with the Royal Family. 

Kate isn't the only royal who loves cooking when gathering with the family. Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle over a homecooked dinner at Frogmore Cottage.

Playing football

A well-known tradition between Princes William and Harry (and many of their closest staff and friends) involved a game of football on Christmas Eve. 

Team William reportedly wore Aston Villa socks - the football team he's supported most of his life, and has passed down his love to Prince George. 

Prince Harry is known to prefer rugby - having once been the patron for the sport - but his general sporting prowess no doubt meant the athletic Duke put his older brother through his paces on the pitch. 

Going to church together

The monarch is the defender of the faith and the Head of the Anglican Church, so it's perhaps no surprise that the family make the effort to visit church together as often as they can. 

Over the years, royal fans have looked forward to the annual Christmas walkabout as the family unite for a church service in Sandringham. But that's not the only church visit which brings them together. 

They enjoy Easter services, with the late Queen Elizabeth often making a big deal of the giving back and charitable element of Maundy Thursday. 

The late Queen might have practiced some unusual traditions

According to Tatler, during their lengthy summer stays in Balmoral – thought to be the personal favourite residence of the late Queen, where she would forego duties and enjoy extended family time – the Queen might have always stayed ready for some very untraditional family bonding. 

While lots of people travel with creature comforts like a favourite book or pair of slippers, the late Queen would always bring her knighting sword. 

While it will never be known, it's a fun visual to imagine Her Majesty practicing while on summer holiday with the family.  

They would put on plays

As young girls, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were known to put on shows for the local community. 

Between 1941 and 1944, during difficult times for a nation at war, they performed in and helped to put on a number of Christmas pantomimes to raise money for the Royal Household Wool Fund, which supplied knitting wool to make comforters for soldiers fighting. 

During these, Princess Margaret showed "considerable talent" at acting, according to the Princesses nanny, Marion Crawford. Marion, who was affectionately known as Crawfie, wrote about it in her book, The Little Princesses, published in 1950.

A shared love of table tennis

Perhaps surprisingly, various members of the Royal Family have showcased hidden talents for ping-pong. 

During a visit to the Royal Air Force Halton in 2019, the now Queen Camilla couldn't resist a game. She also stepped right up and played a game of doubles with the French First Lady in 2023. 

It's likely she plays a game against Kate Middleton, who also puts in the practice at home. 

During a special episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast - hosted by Zara Tindall's husband Mike, it was revealed Kate and William can play for "hours and hours."

They do chores (really!)

Consider this one a most peculiar way to spend time together. 

To most people, doing chores is a natural part of life that we’d actually rather relinquish. But in a touching nod to the fact that, when together for the summer at Balmoral they try to aim for normalcy, it seems the royals like to keep things quite grounded. 

It is widely reported that Margaret Thatcher once sent Queen Elizabeth a pair of rubber gloves as a gift after catching Her Majesty soaking the dishes herself at Balmoral.

They go on skiing holidays together

Over the years, various members of the Royal Family have come together to enjoy skiing and snowboarding trips - one of their most popular shared hobbies. 

Princess Diana was one of the most skilled on the slopes - and one of the most stylish, often sporting super colourful ensembles. She would join the likes of the then Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson for family bonding on the slopes at Switzerland's Verbier.

Diana would share her love of the winter sports with her sons, William and Harry, who would enjoy skiing breaks with their cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. 

A passed down tradition of shooting

A classic pastime of the upper classes, the Royal Family are known to love a good spot of shooting and hunting during their holidays. 

On the 50,000 acre grounds of Balmoral, it's been customary for the clan to go hunting since around 1852. 

While the tradition is considered more outdated and the family were slowly distancing themselves from it, fate intervened in 2023.  According to The Telegraph,
they can now no longer go hunting, deer stalking or fishing at the five-century old Abergeldie Estate, bringing an end to more than 170 years of tradition.

Swimming together

While Prince William loved playing water polo during his university days, the royals like to have a splash together, making the most of a pool at one of the palaces. 

Back in 2014, it was revealed that Kate Middleton had started taking Prince George for weekly swimming lessons in the private pool at Buckingham Palace. 

It is also thought that William and Kate's youngest children, Charlotte and Louis, have also used the pool in the past.

Capturing memories on camera

The Princess of Wales is known for her love of photography, and she has developed her hobby over the years to include different members of her family. 

Kate has had her family pose for her, creating special moments and capturing them herself, with the pictures taken being released as special treats on the birthdays of her children. 

She also took the photos of Queen Camilla when she guest edited a special edition of Country Life magazine in July 2022.

They take in a show together

The Royal Family might spend a lot of their quality time together when they abscond to Balmoral for the summer, but it's not the only time they get to enjoy activities together. 

Over the years, many of the royals will come together and enjoy a night out together taking in a ballet or a play. 

While King Charles is thought to prefer classic plays like Shakespearean dramas, Kate Middleton has been spotted taking Princess Charlotte to ballet performances at the Royal Opera House, a shared passion for the art which Princess Diana had. 

Princess Margaret especially was a lover of the arts, and was known to keep good company with prolific writers and creators of the day, including Noel Coward.

Yoga

It's very likely that behind closed doors, Meghan Markle has been sharing her love of yoga with Prince Harry (and maybe getting her young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to join in early). 

Meghan’s love of yoga was teased during the Netflix series, when fans got a glimpse of her practice. 

Speaking to Best magazine (per Hello!) in the past, Meghan detailed her yoga passion came from her mum, which is why she likewise might have shared it with other family members. 

"Yoga is my thing. My mom is a yoga instructor, and I started doing mommy-and-me yoga with her when I was seven. I was very resistant as a kid, but she said, 'Flower, you will find your practice – just give it time.'"

Playing card games

When in doubt, doesn't everyone rely on an old classic like a card game? 

Well, the royals definitely do. 

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has previously revealed on her podcast how the family like to relax behind closed doors. 

Per Marie Claire, she said, they "do love games, board games, card games, Scrabble, jigsaws," adding they are "a very unified family" and "love to do what other families do."

They keep each other plugged in to the latest tech

Trying to keep older family members up to date with the latest technology? The royals - they really are just like us!

In 2008, a report by Wired revealed that the late Queen Elizabeth was introduced to one of the latest technology crazes as Kate Middleton got her hooked on none other than the Nintendo Wii. 

The outlet reported Her Majesty was fond of bowling on Wii Sports after Kate gifted the console to Prince William one Christmas. 

According to the report, the Queen tried ten-pin bowling on William's Wii and gave it the (unofficial) royal seal of approval.

They love a holiday together

It's rare for too many members of the Royal Family to holiday together, as travelling together poses obvious risks to the line of succession should anything unexpected happen. 

However, that doesn't mean that they haven't enjoyed sharing idyllic locations and short trips away in the past - and it's a lot different to when they travel for a royal tour. 

Princess Margaret spent much of her private time on the island of Mustique in the Caribbean, which has since become a popular destination for others. Kate Middleton and Prince William have also spent ample time in Mustique, most recently visiting in 2019 with their kids.

They love a trip to the pub

As simple as it sounds, even the Royal Family like to simply get together and pop to their local. 

It might seem strange, but it shows how they try to keep a sense of normalcy to their less than normal lives. 

As per Vanity Fair, William and Kate were often spotted at their local when they lived in Anglesey during William’s RAF training. 

And Zara Tindall’s husband, Mike Tindall, shared that he enjoys a trip the pub with William, but shared his teasing nickname for the Prince of Wales, dubbing him "one pint willy."

Playing board games - with one forbidden exception

Board games - sometimes the saviour of a lengthy stint trapped with family and visitors, sometimes the root of all trouble. 

During an interview with Radio Marsden, Prince William revealed that they are no different, being both enamoured and enraged by some classic games. 

In the Wales household, Monopoly and Risk reign supreme. He revealed, though, that "usually everyone gets very cross about because they lose." 

However, it was even worse in the extended family. Many reports suggest that the late Queen banned Monopoly due to the relatable issue of it causing family fighting. 

The children love video games

The younger generation of royals might be born with titles and a pre-destined path before them, but kids will be kids, and it turns out they're just as obsessed with video games as others their age. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton shared some insight into how their children like to spend time together during a 2022 visit to the BAFTA headquarters. 

He shared that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all "definitely like gaming, they’re fascinated by that" but the parents were "trying to regulate the gaming" and monitor the amount of screen time. 

Tennis gets competitive

Tennis is something pretty much all royals seem to love - so it's likely the family get competitive on the court when they're together. 

Princess Diana was an avid lover of the sport, and the current Princess of Wales has kept that tradition alive. Kate has even played tennis with sporting legends, including Roger Federer (and roping him in to give Prince George a private lesson).

Per the Telegraph, tennis champion Emma Raducanu even described Kate's form as "incredible" and Federer called her serve "amazing."

Baking

From Duchess Sophie taking part in a sweet cupcake making appearance to Kate passing down her love for baking with her children, the royals love getting in the kitchen to whip up a sweet treat.

Of making her children a birthday cake each year, the Princess of Wales told Mary Berry on A Berry Royal Christmas in 2019, "I love making the cake. It's become a bit of a tradition that I stay up 'til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing, and I make far too much. But I love it."

Kate even shared lovely footage of her and her three children baking together as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. 

They like to get together to work

When it comes to the Royal Family, sometimes their quality time together involves sharing passion for work and causes close to their hearts. 

It's not uncommon to see an unlikely pairing of royals who will combine their star power and resources to amplify a cause or a charity. 

Fans absolutely loved seeing the special bonding time between Princess Anne and Kate Middleton, when the pair joined forces for their first joint engagement in 2022 to highlight the work of maternal healthcare. 

BBQs and picnics together

During a special documentary in 2021, Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, his family members reminisced on Philip's role as grillmaster.

Princess Anne spoke movingly about her memories being by her father’s side setting up the wood to burn or cooking the steaks and sausages. 

She emphasised that these meals with Philip at the helm were always a family affair, time spent just together. 

Painting and getting creative

Due to a collective shared love of the arts, it's likely the family come together to indulge in some creative pastimes. 

King Charles was a proficient watercolour artist, even selling his paintings for a rather tidy sum over the years, but he's far from the only one who loves getting creative. 

Kate Middleton, who studied History of Art at the University of St Andrews, is thought to love drawing and painting. 

In 2017, she even sketched a drawing for the front cover of her sister, Pippa Middleton's wedding order of service. 

Settling down with a good boxset

It isn't all high-society antics like shooting and discussing art - the royals love nothing more than settling down in front of a good boxset just like the rest of us. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been transparent about their love for a good takeaway and a TV show. 

When asked if they were "allowed" to order a takeaway to the Palace, Catherine replied, "Absolutely", before confirming that it would be "curry, definitely."

As for the TV shows they enjoy sinking into? It's been reported over the years that the royals enjoy a bit of BBC's Killing Eve, Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey - to name a few.

A shared love of horse riding

The late Queen's lifelong love of horses is well-known, with the monarch getting her first pony at age four. 

Her Majesty would regularly be photographed riding horses into her early 90s, only stopping as her mobility issues worsened before her death in September 2022. 

The love of horses is one shared throughout the family, and there are ample photos of the family spending quality time traversing around the 50,000 acre Balmoral Estate together on horseback.