Why the Queen allowed Kate Middleton to break royal protocol on this occasion

There are a lot of rules to follow when you're a member of the royal family, from formalities like who you must bow to, to not wearing certain shades of nail varnish, to being forbidden from discussing politics.

But the Queen reportedly allowed Kate Middleton to break royal protocol on one occasion - and it's actually very sweet.

The monarch allowed the Duchess of Cambridge to take photos at Balmoral, her holiday home in the Scottish Highlands, when Kate was new to the family. It's a very special place for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who usually spend the summer months there and are reportedly already enjoying their yearly getaway to the royal residence, where they will stay until October.

So the fact that the Queen allowed Kate to take some snaps during a stay is said to have been a 'generous move'.

Journalist Katie Nicholl writes in her book Kate: The Future Queen: 'Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral.

'As a woman who has lived her entire life in the public eye, the Queen rarely lets her guard down and very few, apart from her family and closest friends, get to see the real Elizabeth.'

Kate is known to be a keen photographer, and every year the Duchess releases portraits of her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to celebrate their birthdays. She is also a patron of the Royal Photographic Society, a role which was passed on to her by the Queen last month.