Prince William returns to childhood vacation spot with Kate Middleton and their kids© Getty Images

Prince William returns to childhood vacation spot with Kate Middleton and their kids

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were spotted bike riding around the island


UPDATED JULY 31, 2020 11:31 AM EDT

The ongoing pandemic hasn’t stopped the Cambridges from enjoying a family summer vacation! According to the Mirror,  Prince William  whisked his wife  Kate Middleton  and their three children— Prince George , seven,  Princess Charlotte , five, and  Princes Louis , two—to the Isles of Scilly for a staycation. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reportedly said hello to locals as they cycled across the island of Tresco on Thursday. “William and Kate were riding their bicycles, having a laugh. They looked so happy enjoying the weather,” an onlooker told the outlet. “I did do a double take. They were really friendly and said hello.”

© Getty Images

Prince William went cycling with his family in Tresco back in 1989

Per the Mirror, the royal family of five opted against vacationing somewhere in Europe because a potential need to quarantine “would have hampered their return to work.” A source revealed to the outlet that William and Kate “decided on a quick getaway before the children return to school,” adding, “They were keen to support our travel industry.”

The vacation is no doubt a full circle moment for Prince William who holidayed in the Isles of Scilly when he was a child in 1989. Similarly back then, the Duke of Cambridge went cycling in Tresco with his parents,  Prince Charles  and  Princess Diana , and younger brother  Prince Harry . William returned to the Isles of Scilly with Kate for a royal visit in 2016.

© Getty Images

The Duke of Cambridge vacationed on the Isles of Scilly with his parents and brother Prince Harry back when he was a child

The Cambridges have been staying at their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During an appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live’s   That Peter Crouch Podcast , William admitted that lockdown had been testing. “I found it pretty testing. I’m not going to lie,” the future King confessed. “Trying to keep the children engaged and interested in some sort of work. It’s been an interesting few months.”

While homeschooling his young kids, William learned that his “patience is a lot shorter than” he thought it was. He admitted, “That’s probably been the biggest eye-opener for me, and that my wife has super patience.” The Duke also noted on the podcast that he and his wife Kate are good at tag teaming. He explained, “Basically we’re a good sort of team tag session where I come in and have a chat with the children and try to get them to do stuff, and then hand over to Catherine when frankly everything has gone wrong.”