Kate Middleton and Prince William visit HMS Glasgow on May 22, 2025.Credit : 

Andy Barr – WPA Pool/Getty

Kate Middleton and Prince William charmed well-wishers in Scotland, where the Prince of Wales had a surprise response to a quick compliment.

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the official ship naming of the HMS Glasgow on May 22. As the Royal Navy ship’s sponsor, Princess Kate, 43, gave a short speech and released a bottle of whisky, which broke against the ship’s hull in a christening tradition.

A video shared on Instagram captured the scene as the couple passed some fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the action. One shouted out to Kate, “You’re beautiful,” before quickly adding, “You too, William!”

The comment prompted laughs from the pair, and Prince William had a quip that made the crowd giggle in response: “You don’t have to say that. Don’t worry.”

The Prince of Wales, 42, then placed a hand on his wife’s arm as they headed off.

In another funny moment from the outing, the Prince and Princess of Wales took part in a mini competition in pipe-building. But just as Kate was being declared the winner, her mechanism fell apart, prompting laughs from both of them.

As seen in a video shared on social media by royal reporter Rhiannon Mills of Sky News, William also admitted that his device was unsteady.

The day included meeting Royal Navy representatives and a short speech from Kate before the whisky-breaking moment. Stepping up to a microphone, the Princess of Wales said, “I have the pleasure to name this ship: HMS Glasgow. May God bless her and all who sail on her.”

Kate was appointed as the sponsor of the ship in 2021, and she met Royal Navy sailors from HMS Glasgow at Windsor Castle to hear about the progress of work being done on the ship the following year.