Dame Darcey Bussell has been exploring the Royal Family’s favourite holiday destinations in the UK. In episode one of her More4 series, Darcey began her royal road trip in Scotland, where she took to the river banks for a spot of fishing – “one of the Queen’s favourite past times”.
Darcey explained: “Every July, the Queen holidays at Balmoral.
“Up here you can really feel a sense of freedom, miles away from the pressures of city life.
“You can really understand why the Queen so loves being here, a place where she can let her hair down.
“It’s a landscape to get lost in, a place where the Queen and Prince Philip loved to spend time walking, and living the country life.
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Viewers saw her meet Archie Haye, an expert local fisherman, who showed her how to fly fish like a royal.
After getting to grips with the fishing rod, the conversation turned to Her Royal Highness.
“The Queen, now she has fished all over the world; Canada, America, Kenya,” Darcey remarked.
“But this place, on the River Dee, is apparently meant to be the best spot for her.
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Archie added: “This is her favourite [spot]. She’s broken the tradition by coming in May, which is the best – supposedly the high season for fishing spring salmon on the Dee.
“She got the love of it from her mother, who was basically fantastic angler, very keen.”
Fishing is not the only thing the Queen loves to do when in Scotland, Darcey explained how “she is fond of taking trips to the capital Edinburgh, and her visits can sometimes have quite surprising results”.
Usually, the Queen gives a month, or at least a couple of days’ notice when she is going to make an appearance somewhere.
But not everyone – and that’s just what happened to the locals at the Sheep Heid Inn – a traditional pub, said to be the oldest in Scotland, one summer’s night in 2016 when the Monarch turned up.
It is believed the Queen wanted to join her ladies-in-waiting, who were having a function at the pub.
And it is said this is one of the two times the Queen has been to a pub.
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