The Cambridge children of Prince George (8), Princess Charlotte (6), and Prince Louis, who turns 4 later this month, have all taken up a hobby very close to the Queen's heart: horseback riding.

Throughout Her Majesty's nearly 96-year life, horseback riding has been one of her deepest passions and a hobby she enjoyed regularly until very recently, when in October 2021 she was told to give up riding for at least six months due to ill health. A royal source said at the time that "the Queen is saddened that she will not be able to ride horses, one of her favorite hobbies," although it is unclear whether she has been riding since then, and it is unlikely that she has. However, the Queen is resting and taking every precaution to regain her full strength"

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The source continued, "She is very determined to return to riding as soon as possible and by no means thinks her riding days are over."

The Queen took her first riding lessons at the age of three, and in addition to riding, she has famously enjoyed horse racing throughout her life. (A fun royal fact to share at cocktail parties: her daughter Princess Anne and Anne's daughter Zara Phillips Tyndall competed in the 1976 and 2012 Olympics, respectively, representing Great Britain in equestrian sports.)

The Cambridge trio has also been bitten by the riding bug, and the Mirror reports that all three have become avid riders after learning their craft at their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, England. the three are in the lockdown at COVID-19, "the began "trotting along on their first ponies.

Prince William, father of George, Charlotte, and Louis, is said to be "thrilled" that his children have taken up the hobby after learning to ride horses themselves as children, the Mirror reported. (Prince William, his brother Prince Harry, and father Prince Charles are all avid polo players.) Her mother, Kate Middleton, is ...... She is actually allergic to horses, as revealed in 2009 when the Duchess of Cambridge confided in Australian author Cathy Lette during a polo match. When Lette asked the Duchess why she did not play polo, Kate replied, "I'm allergic to horses," Hello! reported.

But now that the rest of the family is into horses, Kate is making an effort to get herself involved in the hobby. According to Clarissa Lu, she is trying to overcome her allergies through exposure, also known as immunotherapy.

"I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Kate," Lew told PEOPLE magazine in 2011." I asked her if she was into polo before she met William. She said no. But she's been riding horses for a while and wants to play polo someday. She said, 'I'm actually allergic to it, but the more time I spend with horses, the less allergic I get.'"

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(If you too are allergic to horses, always consult your doctor before adopting immunotherapy on your own.)

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In the meantime, until he is able to ride again (if he hasn't already), His Majesty must be enjoying the fact that his great-grandchildren seem to be as enthusiastic about riding as he has been his whole life.