Kate Middleton and Prince William’s children have been keeping busy while self-isolating. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spoke about Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ latest hobbies while carrying out separate visits to independent businesses this week. On Friday, William visited the bakery Smiths the Bakers in King’s Lynn, near his and Kate’s country home Anmer Hall. The dad of three learned how the business has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the outing, William revealed that his kids have been “attacking” the kitchen at home. He shared, “I’ve done a little bit of baking. The children have been attacking the kitchen and it’s just been an explosion of flour and chocolate everywhere. Catherine’s been doing quite a bit of baking.”

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William, who turns 38 on June 21, was presented with a cake ahead of his birthday on Sunday. The Duke also went home with a few extra treats for his family from the local bake shop. He told the staff, “I can’t come in here and not buy anything, so have you got any pain au chocolat at all? Have you got any more by any chance? My children will not talk to me if I turn up without enough.” When it came time to pay with his card, the royal joked, “I hope this works. Good, it’s still working - first time out in a while!”

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Aside from getting messy in the kitchen baking, George, six, Charlotte, five, and Louis, two, have also been spending time outdoors gardening. The Duchess made the revelation Thursday, June 18, during her first public engagement since the UK lockdown. Kate stepped out to Fakenham Garden Centre, where she met the center’s staff and heard about the measures that have been implemented to make sure that customers are able to visit and shop safely. The Duchess revealed that her kids have been growing tomato plants at home. “They were very excited to grow them from seeds and now they’re as tall as them,” she said.

The Duke and Duchess, who have been staying at their country home in Norfolk since March, officially returned to in-person engagements this week. During their time under lockdown, William did “a lot of baking at home” and Kate enjoyed one of her favorite hobbies, photography. Last month, while making an appearance on ITV’s This Morning, Kate said, “During this time I’ve spent lots of time picking up my camera and taking photographs of the children because they are always around us when we are doing stuff together, which has been great.”

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Like for many, Kate recently admitted that this period has been “difficult” for her. Speaking to students during an Oak National Academy assembly, the Duchess said, “We all have our ups and downs, especially when things change in our lives as they have in so many ways recently. This can cause us to have a huge range of different feelings. Sometimes these feelings can be good, but sometimes they may be uncomfortable, and we feel worried, angry or upset.”

She added, “Being unable to see your friends or spend time with your family will undoubtedly be frustrating for you, just as it is for them. It’s been a really difficult time for us all. But it’s important to know that these feelings and frustrations are totally normal, and that they won’t last forever.”