The Prince and Princess of Wales said hello to well-wishers as they left a shipyard in Glasgow after attending the official naming ceremony of HMS Glasgow – and one fan couldn’t help but remark on Kate’s outfit, prompting a response from William

Prince William had an unexpected response after a well-wisher told his wife Kate she looked ‘beautiful’ at a ship’s naming ceremony. The Prince and Princess of Wales were at the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow for the official naming ceremony of HMS Glasgow – a new Royal Navy state-of-the-art Type 26 anti-submarine frigate.

As sponsor of the vessel, Kate had the job of officially naming the ship by smashing a bottle of whisky on its hull. For the visit, Kate embraced the nautical theme with her outfit, wearing a navy and white Suzannah London coat dress teamed with a Philip Treacy hat. After the visit, a crowd of well-wishers gathered to catch a glimpse of the royal couple, with one telling Kate she looked ‘beautiful’.

Kate took part in the ship’s official naming ceremony(Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)

But not to leave William out, she quickly added: “You too, William!” But in a surprise response, he told the fan: “You don’t have to say that, don’t worry!”

It came after Kate stepped up onto a podium before a crowd of several hundred BAE employees, their families and the 45-strong ship’s company and uttered the time-honoured words: “I have the pleasure to name this ship HMS Glasgow, may God bless her and all who sail on her”.

Kate then flicked up a small red ‘launch’ button to release a bottle of exclusive single malt whisky made by the nearby Clydeside Distillery. The ceremonial act is said to bring good luck and fortune to the vessel and its crew.

The princess was named sponsor of the 8,000-tonne warship, a state-of-the-art Type 26 anti-submarine frigate, in June 2021 and is said to hold “a real interest” in the ship “and in the lives of those who will serve onboard”. The ship, the first of eight planned Type 26 frigates, is designed to provide protection to the UK’s nuclear deterrent and aircraft carriers.

It features advanced systems such as the Sea Ceptor anti-air missile system, a 5-inch naval gun, and the capability to carry both Wildcat and Merlin helicopters. The construction of the eight frigates has sustained 4,000 jobs across Scotland and the wider UK supply chain.

William later told a group of BAE staff during a reception: “It’s massive, I can see that’s where the future is going. It’s quite impressive, it’s a hell of a piece of kit – screams UK power.”

The couple also had a tour of the vessel, which is being fitted out, after the naming ceremony, they then met BAE staff, apprentices and members of HMS Glasgow’s company in a nearby training centre.

Kate wore a Suzannah London coatdress and a Philip Treacy hat (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

William and Kate competed to complete a pipe puzzle connecting pieces of copper piping – a secondary school Stem activity – under the watchful eye of BAE apprentices. The prince later complained he did not realise it was a competition, saying to laughter from Kate, “It’s a race? – that’s fine, then I’ll race” but when his wife was declared the winner, William replied her effort was ‘wobbly’.

Apprentice Natalie Black guided Kate through the test and said afterwards: “We had a little discussion about what her kids get up to and I complimented her on how well she was doing up the bolts and she said it was just like playing with the kids’ toys.”

During the reception, the princess repeatedly spoke about how impressed she was by the sheer scale of the ship, the number of people involved in the build and the technology on board.

The Princess of Wales claps after the whisky breaks on the ship(Image: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)

Talking to the ship’s company and their families, she said: “It’s so exciting to see it all come together, all the technology is so impressive.” Adding: “What’s really interesting as well is seeing the international interest.”

She admitted that she was still getting to grips with the naval language, telling one woman: “I’m still learning all my naval lingo. There are a lot of abbreviations that I don’t fully understand. I’ve got a lot to learn.”