AFTER REVEALING THAT PRINCE GEORGE IS A BUDDING TRIATHLETE THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES GET ON THEIR BIKES IN NORTHERN SCOTLAND AS CARING KATE SHOWS SOME MOTHERLY LOVE

Showing their love of all things sporty and outdoors, the Prince and Princess of Wales donned cycling helmets and jumped on mountain bikes on a visit to Scotland last week.

- EMILY NASH

Prince William and Kate, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay north of the border, were cheered as they took on a series of ramps on a course laid out in community gardens in Burghead, Moray.

Dressed casually for the chilly weather, the fun-loving couple were there to hear about the work of Outfit Moray, which arranges adventure activity and outdoor learning activities for young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem.

After sending them off on their bikes, the charity’s chief executive Tony Brown joked: “I had visions of going to the Tower! But they were very skilled and clearly mountain-bike-ready and went straight round the course without any instruction required. The kids loved it.”

The Prince and Princess then spent time chatting to pupils at Burghead Primary School and watched as the youngsters took part in cycling proficiency drills.

HANDS OFF

One pupil, Oliver, was asked by Kate – in a tartan-patterned Burberry jacket over a rollneck sweater, with jeans and boots – to go easy on the fist-bumps after her recent hand injury.

“She said she hurt her finger playing on the trampoline with her kids,” he said. “She also said she couldn’t give too many fist-bumps or high-fives as it hurt.”

Caring Kate put her arm around one tearful little boy who had fallen off his bike, telling him: “You’re so brave. Where’s your bike? Are you going to give it another go?”

She then took the stopwatch as he lined up for another attempt with his friends, asking: “Are you ready to go, you guys? I’m going to start you off again. Are you feeling brave?”