Kate Middleton and Prince William are back to work after a brief break while Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were on school holiday.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 41, stepped out in Scotland on Thursday to meet organizations supporting rural communities in Moray. It marked Prince William and Princess Kate’s first joint engagement in three weeks, as they scaled back their royal schedules to spend extra time with George, 10, Charlotte, 8, and Louis, 5, during their kids’ half-term from the Lambrook School.
The couple matched in green jackets, both adorned with a red poppy pin. Every November, the red flower accessories become a piece of the royal family’s wardrobe. The poppy has been used since 1921 to commemorate military members who have died in wars. The red flower is primarily associated with the U.K. and Commonwealth countries for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.
Prince William and Princess Kate made the trip to learn more about how the local groups support the mental health of young people through access to the great outdoors and practical learning opportunities and kicked off with Outfit Moray in Burghead. The charity works to develop young people’s potential through affordable outdoor learning and adventure, encouraging life skills and improving overall health. Outfit Moray is dedicated to helping vulnerable or disadvantaged youth between ages 8 and 18 and has worked with over 16,000 young people since its establishment in 2003.
Confidence-building activities include mountain biking, paddlesports, rock climbing, archery and bushcraft, and the group also organizes school programs like cycle training, bike maintenance and first aid.
The couple — who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay while in Scotland — met the Outfit Moray team at Burghead Primary School, where they learned more about the sporty outdoor activities and checked out a mountain bike session, with Kate and William sporting helmets as they went for a ride through the course.
The royals also saw some of the school programs and connected with people who have benefitted from being involved with Outdoor Moray.
Mental health is a key focus of The Royal Foundation, the charity for William and Kate’s nonprofit work. The couple memorably launched the Heads Together campaign through The Royal Foundation with Prince Harry in 2016 to smash stigmas surrounding conversations and help with mental health, and have continued raising awareness around the issue ever since.
Early childhood and childhood development have also become an increasingly visible part of Princess Kate’s public work (like her solo outing with the “Dadvengers” group on Wednesday!), making the Outfit Moray stop a natural fit.
Before they left, Prince William and Princess Kate were given three teddy bears as gifts to bring home to their children.
From there, the Prince and Princess of Wales will move to the nearby Brodieshill Farm to meet members of the Lower Speyside Young Farmers and reps from Farmstrong Scotland. At the family-run farm, William and Kate will hear about efforts to improve support around the mental health and well-being of young people.
Both the Lower Speyside Young Farmers and Farmstrong Scotland promote mental wellness in rural Scottish communities and provide resources for farmers, with different targeted focuses. The young farmers’ group is open to those between the ages of 14 and 29 and creates opportunities for socializing to fight isolation.
The Lower Speyside Young Farmers recently participated in the “Are ewe okay” campaign from the Scottish Association of Young Farmer Clubs to foster more conversation around mental health and break down taboos around the topic.
Meanwhile, Farmstrong Scotland is dedicated to the well-being of adult farmers and rural communities. Its programs aim to boost mental and physical wellness, to the benefit of helping local businesses thrive.
Prince William and Princess Kate will get also the chance to meet families at Brodieshill Farm who attend sessions at the farm’s play area. The specialized space was designed to bring kids and parents together while fostering a sense of community, welcoming families from the nearby RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth bases.
The couple has a special connection to the Royal Air Force, as Prince William flew as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot based at RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, from 2010 to 2013. The prince’s RAF service overlapped with an extra special chapter in his personal life, as he married Kate in 2011 and they welcomed Prince George in 2013. In a slew of new military appointments awarded over the summer, King Charles named his eldest son Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Valley — where he previously flew as a pilot. Bolstering the family’s bond to the branch, Princess Kate was named Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Coningsby in the same sweep.
The royals had already held RAF-related appointments when the new roles were awarded — Prince William as the Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Coningsby and Princess Kate as Honorary Air Commodore of the Air Cadets.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will conclude their trip to Scotland on Thursday with a visit to DAY1 in Inverness. The charity offers mentoring, training, personal development and career coaching to vulnerable youth. DAY1 also runs Inverness Kart Raceway, which doubles as the hub for its apprenticeship program in automotive skills. There, William and Kate will take a tour and meet young people involved before getting a glimpse of the auto workshops — and maybe even catch a race!
Before Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay were last in Scotland for the second coronation celebration honoring King Charles and Queen Camilla on July 5.
After spending the end of October at home with their kids, both William and Kate returned to royal duty on Wednesday. While Princess Kate joined the Dadvengers for a walk and lively music session, Prince William held an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on behalf of King Charles.
Source: People
