As Prince William and Kate Middleton head North of the border this week, there will be one question on many royal fans’ minds: will the Prince of Wales finally wear a kilt?
Indeed, despite King Charles often being proudly pictured wearing tartan, there hasn’t been a single image taken of his eldest son dressed in the beloved Scottish pattern since he was a young boy.
Previous reports by The Daily Mail suggested that William shared one month before his 21st birthday in 2003: ‘I have worn a kilt in private and I’m not saying I will never wear one in public. I haven’t got into it yet.’
But nearly 23 years on, the prince has still not embraced the esteemed tradition, despite being educated at St Andrew’s University on the coast of Fife.
William and his university sweetheart Kate, also The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, are set to travel to Stirling and Falkirk on January 20 to shine a light on key aspects of Scottish heritage.
As part of their visit, the couple will be trying their hand at curling with the team GB squad and Paralympic squad, while also learning how to weave tartan.
Speaking about the Waleses upcoming visit on the latest episode of The Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential, Diary Editor Richard Eden asked Royal Editor Rebecca English: ‘Does this mean that Prince William will be wearing a kilt?’
‘That’s bad news for you because you know what you’ve promised, that you’ll wear one when he wears one,’ the show’s host Jo Elvin told Richard.
As Prince William and Kate Middleton head North of the border this week, there will be one question on many royal fans’ minds: will the Prince of Wales finally wear a kilt? (Pictured: William with his father Charles at Balmoral in 1997)
‘Oh god, I’m getting nervous now, a shiver has gone down my spine,’ the royal expert quipped.
Detailing Kate and William’s day of Scottish engagements, Rebecca revealed that there will also be another engagement on the day, though she was unable to share any further details due to security reasons.
‘It will be a really good, fun day,’ she added.
The Waleses trip to Scotland will come as little surprise to key royal fans given The Royal Family’s deep connection to the nation which dates back centuries.
The Firm own several properties north of the border that includes Balmoral – the lavish 50,000-acre Aberdeenshire estate where the family often spend the late summer and autumn – alongside Birkhall and the Castle of Mey.
Yet while William, now 43, has spent an abundance of time in Scotland, he appears to be less fond of the kilt – a key part of traditional Scottish dress that serves as a powerful symbol of the nation’s identity and pride.
The prince even had the choice to wear one for his university graduation ceremony in June 2005. Instead, he chose to wear a traditional suit with a white bow tie and black silk academic gown with a red lining.
That September, then 23-year-old William joined his family for the Braemar Gathering in Aberdeenshire which featured strong men dressed in kilts throwing hammers and tossing cabers.
Despite King Charles often being proudly pictured wearing tartan, there hasn’t been a single image taken of his eldest son wearing the historic Scottish pattern since he was a young boy (pictured: William left)
While often favoured by King Charles, the tradition of royals wearing tartan and kilts dates back more than a century to the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign
That September, the then 23-year-old prince joined his family for the Braemar Gathering in Aberdeenshire. Yet William could manage nothing more than a navy-blue lounge suit while Charles was properly attired in a kilt and tweed jacket
The annual Highland games are a key part of the Royals’ Scottish calendar and many avid royal fans were hopeful that the prince might finally don the beloved royal tartan.
Yet William could manage nothing more Scottish than a navy-blue lounge suit while Charles was properly attired in a kilt and tweed jacket.
When Kate Middleton visited St Andrews in 2011, a royal onlooker asked the princess-to-be whether William would be likely to wear a kilt to their royal wedding.
‘I don’t think so,’ responded Kate, now 44.
Indeed, she was correct. When the university sweethearts said ‘I Do’ at London’s Westminster Abbey, the prince wore his scarlet Irish Guards Colonel’s uniform, with not a kilt in site.
While it is often a key part of King Charles’s wardrobe, the tradition of royals wearing tartan and kilts dates back more than a century to the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign.
The late Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather King George V, her father King George VI, and, of course, the Queen herself along with Prince Philip and their four children, have all continued the custom over the years.
As The Daily Mail’s Richard Kay previously explained: ‘The Windsors observe a unique – if eccentric – set of house rules when it comes to how to dress in Scotland.
William and Kate, also The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, are set to travel to Stirling and Falkirk on January 20 and shine a light on key aspects of Scottish heritage. Pictured: Kate seen dressed in tartan while William dons a suit in Edinburgh in 2021
Pictured: William joins the late Queen and then Prince Charles for the Braemar Games in 2001. The annual Highland games are a key part of the Royals’ Scottish calendar and many were hopeful that the prince might finally don the beloved royal tartan
Generations of men, including the late Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather King George V, her father King George VI, and, of course, the Queen herself along with Prince Philip (pictured) and their four children have continued the Kilt-wearing custom over the years
‘The men wear kilts, not just on official engagements but during their off-duty moments too.
‘Even Princess Diana, no lover of things Scottish, used to display a gesture, such as a tam o’ shanter, to the delight of the Celtic fringe.’
One of the most recognisable styles of royal tartan is the Royal Stewart, which dates back at least as far as 1800, according to the Scottish Register of Tartans.
Some historians have suggested that the tartan could have been worn by supporters of Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, during his failed attempt to restore the Stuart monarchy in the mid-1700s.
The Balmoral Tartan was originally created in the 1850s by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, in recognition of her deep connection to Scotland.
It remains one of the most exclusive tartans, reserved only for use by the reigning monarch, as well as the Sovereign’s Piper – the only non-royal permitted to don this tartan.
Other members of the Royal Family require the sovereign’s permission to wear the tartan.
The latest pattern of the Balmoral Tartan was designed ‘in recognition of His Majesty’s strong support in preserving the culture and traditions of Highland Dress and Scottish Tartans’.
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