Queen Victoria wanted to maintain close ties with her children after they left home to get married and start their own families. Her desire for a strong relationship pushed the British sovereign to start a new royal tradition most of her descendants still follow. Speaking to Express.co.uk, royal biographer Marlene Koenig said: “There were times when she travelled which was something that was new because she didn’t have transportation before.

“She certainly went to Darmstadt to see her grandchildren because their mother was dead and wanted to be a part of their lives.”

Three of the Queen’s nine children had moved to Germany following their marriage and Victoria often travelled to visit them – especially following the death of her second daughter, Princess Alice.

The close relationship the sovereign had with her heirs also pushed them and their children to return to England to spend time with the Queen.

Ms Koenig continued: “What’s really interesting is that Prince Philip’s mother and his grandmother were both born in Windsor Castle with Queen Victoria present.

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“When her granddaughter gave birth, she was there with her and when her daughter gave birth, she came back to England to have her baby at home which was a big deal because travel was not easy.

Indeed her descendants have maintained the tradition Victoria instituted and expanded the destinations Royal Family members visited outside of Europe.

Queen Elizabeth II went on her first official tour shortly after she was crowned in 1953, visiting Panama, Bermuda, Fiji and Jamaica.

Since then the monarch has carried out more than 50 countries and becoming the most widely travelled head of state in the world.

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Other members of the Royal Family have also helped maintain the Crown’s good relationship with foreign countries through travel.

Prince Charles has been on extensive royal tours in over 50 years as Prince of Wales and he is scheduled to visit New Zealand with the Duchess of Cornwall later this year.

Charles’ children Prince William and Prince Harry have also been repeatedly dispatched across the world to foster diplomatic ties with international partners and Commonwealth members. 

William and wife Kate Middleton will travel to Pakistan in the autumn for a “hugely historic” royal tour while Harry and Meghan Markle will take their son Archie to a visit to South Africa.

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Daily Mirror’s Royal Editor Russell Myers suggested the royal tours the two princes will be going on exemplify the different roles they will play within the Royal Family in the future.

Mr Myers said: “It’s very telling, because obviously Harry and Meghan are going to go into this Commonwealth, conservation, girl’s education role, that they will be doing for decades, presumably.

“And then you’ve got William being prepped to be this world leader, essentially.

“[He is] meeting with people in these sorts of regions and being incredibly statesmanlike.

“Hugely important for both of them, I think.”

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