Duchess of Cambridge reveals she keeps bees at her Norfolk home
The Duchess of Cambridge gives children some honey from her Norfolk home to try during her visit to the Natural History Museum - Credit: PA
The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed she has become a beekeeper as she offered schoolchildren a taste of honey from hives at her Norfolk home.
Kate was visiting the wildlife garden at the Natural History Museum on Tuesday to learn about its new Urban Nature Project.
The Duchess asked youngsters from St Mary of the Angels Primary School in London if they knew where bees got their nectar from, before producing a pot of honey made by her own bees at Anmer Hall.
The Duchess of Cambridge during her visit to the Natural History Museum, central London. - Credit: PA
"Would you like to try some?" she asked. "I've got one spoon each. This came specially from my beehive.
"See if it tastes the same as at home. Does it taste like honey from the shops? Does it taste like flowers?"
Anmer Hall, which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given by the Queen - Credit: Ian Burt
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The Duchess asked the children if they knew how many species of bees there were in this country, telling them: "It's 350, isn't that amazing?"
She told them: "Every time you see a bee, say 'thank you so much' because they make delicious honey."
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The Duchess took the honey as a gift for the children to highlight the museum's project about biodiversity.
She is thought to have chipped in with her family to buy her brother, James Middleton, 1,000 Buckfast bees as a birthday present when he turned 24.
Kate is in good company as a royal beekeeper.
There are more than 300 species of bee in the UK - Credit: Chris Bishop
The Duchess of Cornwall is a keen beekeeper and has nine hives at her home Raymill in Wiltshire. Her honey is now sold each year for charity by Fortnum & Mason.
The Prince of Wales also keeps bees and hives at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, and at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.
In an ITV documentary with Sir David Attenborough last year, the Duke of Cambridge talked about how his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis loved watching bees making honey, but it was not known the Cambridges had their own hives.
The Duchess of Cambridge during her visit to the Natural History Museum, central London. - Credit: PA
William said: "Seeing my children, seeing the passion in their eyes and the love for being outdoors. They find a bug or they love watching how bees are forming the honey."
