Kate has woven the first part of a record-breaking tartan scarf as part of a visit to a hand-weaving studio in central Stirling.

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay – as William and Kate are known when north of the border – were visiting Radical Weavers, a charity offering the opportunity to learn traditional Scottish tartan-weaving skills.

During the visit the pair were invited to choose colours for their own tartan, with William opting for a number of “bright” colours before being persuaded by Kate to add some gentler tones.

Afterwards the pair met members of the charity’s tartan-weaving course, where Kate took a seat at a traditional loom to add an “inch and a half” to what the Radical Weavers hope will grow into a record-breaking 3km-long tartan scarf.

The garment, which is being woven in the Wallace tartan and which will be produced communally, is intended to raise money to build Scotland’s Tartan Centre in Stirling.

Head of weaving Peter Dickie afterwards explained that Kate had added the first piece of weaving to the scarf.

“I did the first bit to secure it in place, and then the first piece of actual weaving was done by the princess,” he explained.

“She did about an inch and a half there, which is, give or take, about 16 throws in two or three minutes, having never woven before.”

He added: “Weaving is really, really easy, and it just looks really complicated.”

The royal couple were shown round the charity’s Murray Place premises by the its founding director Mairi Breslin, who said the visit was “by far” the biggest event in the organisation’s seven-year history.

“(It’s a) complete game changer. It’s a small independent charity, with five members of staff,” she said.

“It’s extremely difficult to get any sort of publicity or press about what we do, and the more people that know what we do, hopefully the more help we can get, the better.”

She explained the charity had been chosen as the V&A’s community partner in 2023, which she said was “massive”.

She went on: “We loved it, but this is by far the biggest day that we’ve had.”

Established in 2019, the charity aims to help to tackle social isolation and support people affected by trauma and loss by offering the opportunity to learn traditional Scottish tartan-weaving skills in a safe and welcoming environment.

The students on the weaving course who met the royal couple included two Ukrainian refugees, two young adults from Israel, and a blind woman in her 80s.

One student, 22-year-old Lauren Kilgannon, said her nerves were “everywhere” after meeting William and Kate.

“They seemed very lovely. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first but a good experience to have,” she said.

She said William had taken an interest in the colours she had chosen for her tartan, which she explained were inspired by the browns and oranges of autumn.

She added: “I’ve not been weaving long, I’ve only been here since last April.

“So to have that experience is quite a lot for just a beginner. So I’m quite happy with that.”

Kate appeared at the engagement sporting her own piece of British textile design, in the form of a blue checked coat by Chris Kerr, woven by Johnstons of Elgin, with whom she worked to design in.

She has made a number of visits to British textiles manufacturers: in 2025 she visited manufacturers in Carmarthenshire, Suffolk, Kent and County Tyrone to highlight the rich heritage of the British textile industry and celebrate the joy found in working in the creative industries.

The royal trip coincides with the second day of Harry’s court battle against Associated Newspapers over alleged misconduct, which is taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.