Kate Middleton arrived at the BAE Systems’ shipyard in Scotstoun dressed in an on-theme navy and white outfit
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Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Rothesay, is known for her love of literal dressing, and her most recent engagement in Scotland was no different. To attend the naming of a new ship in Glasgow, the Princess of Wales – joined by her husband, Prince William – fully embraced the nautical theme in a navy blue Suzannah London coat dress trimmed in white, teamed with a matching hat by one of her favourite milliners, Philip Treacy. Pairing her outfit with nude heels, sapphire-and-diamond earrings that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and a dark clutch bag, Kate Middleton was the picture of elegance as she arrived at the BAE Systems’ shipyard in Scotstoun, William at her side, to see the new HMS Glasgow.
The Princess – as Sponsor of HMS Glasgow, a position to which she was appointed in 2021 – took part in a long-standing maritime tradition of breaking a bottle against the ship’s hull, to invite good luck to the vessel and its crew. Instead of being christened with a bottle of customary champagne, however, HMS Glasgow was showered with whisky – in a truly apt celebration of its Scottish heritage. ‘It’s so great to see her, she’s fantastic,’ Catherine said at first sight of the vessel. Stepping onto a podium, she released a bottle of single malt from the nearby Clydeside Distillery, to cheers from the crowd. Clydeside opened its doors in 2017, the same year that the HMS Glasgow build began, and each bottle of the whisky sold will include a donation to HMS Glasgow’s chosen charity, Place2Be – of which the Princess is patron.