Catherine, Princess of Wales visits Radical Weavers on January 20, 2026 in Stirling, Scotland. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Stirling and Falkirk today to highlight Scottish heritage traditions and the ways in which they connect communities.

Kate Middleton.Credit : Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty

Kate Middleton had an “inspiring” weekend outing before she and Prince William traveled to Scotland for royal engagements.

On Monday, Jan. 19, the Princess of Wales shared an Instagram post from the Royal Ballet and Opera, who are currently staging Woolf Works, an Olivier-winning ballet triptych inspired by the works of Virginia Woolf. The show was created by the Royal Ballet’s resident choreographer Wayne McGregor and is set to an original score by Max Richter.

“Thank you to the Royal Ballet for an amazing evening of creative inspiration at Woolf Works this weekend!” Kate, 44, captioned her post, signing off with her initial “C” for Catherine, indicating that the message came directly from her.

The Princess of Wales, known as the Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, leaves after a visit to the community run Gothenburg pub, also known as the 'Goth', in the former mining village of Fallin, near Stirling, as part of their visit to Stirling and Falkirk. Picture date: Tuesday January 20, 2026

Kate Middleton in Scotland on Jan. 20, 2026.Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty

Princess Kate has long been a fan and public supporter of the ballet. In 2024, she made a rare public outing just two weeks after announcing that she completed chemotherapy treatment to attend a matinee performance of Giselle by the English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.

The princess praised the performance, taking to social media to share her thanks to the company.

“Congratulations and thank you to @ENBallet and @Sadlers_Wells for the wonderfully powerful, moving and inspiring performance of Akram Khan’s Giselle. Creativity at its best!” the Princess of Wales wrote on X, posting a photo of artists on stage in the ballet.

The Princess of Wales has also taken her daughter, Princess Charlotte, 10, to ballet performances in the past.

The weekend outing was a personal moment for Kate ahead of some official royal engagements this week. She and Prince William, 43, arrived in Scotland on Tuesday, Jan. 20, where they are visiting Stirling and Falkirk to spotlight some beloved Scottish landmarks and traditions.

The royal couple first posed for photos at The Kelpies in Falkirk, where a pair of 30‑meter‑tall steel horse‑head sculptures form the eastern gateway of the Forth and Clyde Canal. Created by sculptor Andy Scott, the kelpies — shape-shifting mythical creatures from Scottish folklore that live in the country’s famous lochs — were completed in 2013.

Then, William and Kate traveled to the National Curling Academy in Stirling, where they met with members of Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic curling teams and even tried their hands at the complicated winter sport.

Catherine, Princess of Wales takes part in curling during a visit to meet with the Team GB and Paralympics GB Curling teams, ahead of the Winter Olympic Games, at the National Curling Academy in Stirling, in Scotland

Kate Middleton throws a stone at the National Curling Academt in Stirling, Scotland, on Jan. 20, 2026.Russell Cheyne / POOL / AFP via Getty

The prince and princess took turns “throwing rocks,” or sliding curling stones, during a practice round with some of the Olympic athletes. While William had a smoother throw — remarking that his teammates were “hardcore sweeping” — Kate’s teammates helped her stone slide to victory. What’s more, she did it in a skirt!

This isn’t the first time the Princess of Wales has bested her husband while dressed up. Kate previously beat William in a spinning competition — also while wearing a skirt — in South Wales in February 2023.