The Princess of Walesmade headlines earlier this month when she revealed that she would be making acareful and considered return to public lifeas she continues to recover from cancer.
One of the first places the Princess visited was the ballet, where she watched a performance of the English National Ballet's Giselleat Sadler's Wells in London.
Taking to social media following the performance, Kate said: "Congratulations and thank you to @ENBallet and @Sadlers_Wells for the wonderfully powerful, moving, and inspiring performance of Akram Khan'sGiselle. Creativity at its best! C."
Whilst this may seem like an unexpected choice for one of Kate's first outings, ballet is steeped in royal history as a favourite hobby. Even looking at today's royal ladies, most of the women in the British Royal Family have a deep love of the art form.
From Queen Camilla's Silver Swans classes to Princess Anne's long-lost ballet exam notes, keep scrolling to see the royals' close connections with this disciplined and historic dance style…
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Queen Camilla
The Queen's love of dance is something she has been incredibly public about. Camilla previously opened up about her Silver Swans ballet lessons, which she began during lockdown.
She said: "I do a bit of Silver Swans myself. The ladies today would rather show me up. I do love it."
"I had certainly never done ballet before, and it doesn't matter whether you have done ballet or not, it's something that will make you feel better. It gives you a certain amount of confidence in yourself; it's just a bit of discipline."
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Princess Anne
The Princess Royal's talents were rediscovered in 2020 when old ballet records were uncovered by dance curatorJane Pritchard, who was part of the team putting together a museum collection for the RAD. However, due to Princess Anne studying under a competitor dance board, ISTD, the records didn't make the cut for the exhibition.
"Pritchard was thrilled to find the young Princess Anne's ballet exam notes from the 1950s – only to realise that she’d trained with an ISTD teacher and not an RAD one – 'no good at all!'" wrote journalist David Jay inDance Gazette, RAD's members' magazine.
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Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte has inherited Kate's enjoyment of ballet, with her adoring parents both mentioning their daughter's interest in the dance style whilst talking to members of the public.
Kate first mentioned Charlotte's adoration for the dance style back in 2017, when she said: "My daughter Charlotte likes dancing, she loves ballet and tap. Keep up the dancing," to a 7-year-old girl who told the Princess of her love for dancing during a visit to a Yorkshire textile mill.
Prince William also confirmed the youngster's hobby, explaining: "Charlotte is running around the kitchen in her dresses and ballet stuff and everything." Princess Charlotte also enjoyed a ballet birthday treat when she and her friends headed to watch the National Ballet of Canada's performance ofCinderella.
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Princess Diana
A young Princess Diana had her heart set on one thing – becoming a ballet dancer.
In her youth, Diana studied ballet and had hoped to turn professional. Sadly, however, she grew too tall to continue – but the passion remained.
Diana's former ballet tutor Anne Allan opened up about her time with the Princess, having been hired by the royal in the early 1980s.
Speaking in the documentaryDiana: In Her Own Words, she recalled: "When I first met her you could see that there was a huge shyness. But over time, as we went through our dance class, I realised just how much dance meant to her.
"She had dance in her soul. I realised the pure enjoyment that it gave her. She loved the freeness of being able to move and dance. She loved it. I could see it helped to alleviate her emotional life. That was hard for her at that time."
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Duchess Sophie
In February 2020, Duchess Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, opened the Central School of Ballet's new studios, named in her honour, on the South Bank in Southwark.
The Countess of Wessex studios in Paris Gardens feature seven studios, a fully equipped studio theatre, study and resource centres, as well as a state-of-the-art health suite. Sophie became patron of the Central School of Ballet in 2003 and is renowned for her love of dance.
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Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
Sienna may be the youngest royal family member to have a love of ballet. Her adoring mother, Princess Beatrice, 36, exclusively toldHELLO! about her daughter's love of dance during an intimate drinks party at the Broadwick Hotel in London's Soho in April.
Talking about how she juggles work with being a parent to her three-year-old daughter Sienna, she said: "I'm busy with my job and running around after a two-year-old who keeps me on my toes," she said with a smile, adding proudly: "By the way, Sienna loves ballet!"
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