Advertisement

Kate Middleton Reveals the Sweet Hobby She Shares with Younger Brother James

GEOFF PUGH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images; Dave Benett/Getty Images Kate Middleton; James Middleton

Kate Middleton and her younger brother, James Middleton, share a buzz-worthy interest!

The royal visited London's Natural History Museum on Tuesday to learn about their Urban Nature Project. Kate, 39, brought a special treat for the local schoolchildren she met: homemade honey from Anmer Hall, the Norfolk home where she enjoys time in the country with Prince William and their three children: Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3.

"Would you like to try some? This came specially from my beehive," she told the kids, according to a report from the event. "Does it taste like honey from the shops? Does it taste like flowers?"

The children smiled as they licked spoons of the tasty treat.

RELATED: Kate Middleton Helped Buy Her Brother James the 'Most Fantastic Birthday Gift Imaginable'

GEOFF PUGH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Kate Middleton

GEOFF PUGH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

James, 34, has previously opened up about his own interest in beekeeping.

"Many of you know I am passionate about dogs, but not many know I am almost as passionate about bees," he wrote on Instagram in August 2019. "I'm fascinated by the little creatures. From their waggle dance to the queen laying her own body weight in eggs a day… there's a lot to be said about these humble little creatures."

He also shared how the activity has helped him clear his mind.

"Bee keeping to me is a meditation. It's a chance to escape my mind and be so consumed by something that hours can pass by without knowing it. Meditation is a wonderful tool to help with stress, anxiety, depression and doesn't just need to be practiced sitting down!"

James also noted that honey is "one of natures finest medicines. From antibacterial properties, aiding digestion, hay fever, colds, energy and even as cure for sleeping disorders the list goes on. I have a teaspoon of honey every day and couldn't recommend it more."

Last year, James shared that Kate and their other family members are responsible for his new hobby.

"I'd always harboured a longing to keep bees, but it wasn't until I turned 24 in 2011 that the wish became reality," he wrote in a 2020 article for the Daily Mail.

"Then, my family - mum, dad and my sisters Catherine and Pippa - clubbed together to buy what for me was the most fantastic birthday gift imaginable," he continued. "A delivery van arrived with a large buzzing box with the cautionary label: 'Live Bees.' Inside was the nucleus - the start - of my colony: 1,000 Buckfast bees."

James recalled being "delighted" by the present's arrival - although the delivery man was less thrilled, and James had to pick up the box from the van himself.

GEOFF PUGH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Kate Middleton

GEOFF PUGH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Kate Middleton

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Kate's day at the museum also included sitting cross-legged on the floor to join schoolchildren as they learned about spiders with an arts and crafts activity. She also fixed an acoustic monitoring device to a cherry tree in the Wildlife Garden, which will record ambient sound to help scientists to investigate patterns of bird, mammal and insect activity in the garden.