The Princess of Wales looked effortlessly elegant on Thursday as she officially named HMS Glasgow by smashing a bottle of local Scottish whisky against its hull.

Keeping her look suitably nautical, Kate, 43, sported a navy and white £1,850 coat dress from British brand Suzannah London and a matching statement hat from Philip Treacy, first worn at Trooping the Colour in 2024.

Joined by her husband, Prince William, to conduct the traditional naming ritual at the BAE Systems’ shipyard in Scotstoun, on the bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, the mother-of-three completed her outfit with a pair of cream heels and navy handbag. 

But it was her jewellery that held especially touching tributes. The royal added a personal and sentimental touch to her ensemble by wearing her Cabochon Sapphire Drop Earrings, thought to have been a wedding gift to the late Princess Diana.

She also wore a brooch especially designed for the occasion on Thursday. James Porter & Son, established in 1858, is based in Glasgow’s historic Argyll Arcade and is one of Scotland’s oldest jewellers.

Simon Porter said they had been asked to design a brooch based on HMS Glasgow’s crest.

‘It was an absolute honour to see her wearing it,’ he said. ‘Against a plain navy background it really stood out.’

The brooch was funded by two London livery companies, the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers and the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors.

On Thursday, Kate pressed a button to smash an exclusive bottle of whisky into the hull of the grey stealth-like HMS Glasgow, the first of eight Type 26 anti-submarine frigates to be built in Glasgow. 

Stepping up onto a podium before a crowd of several hundred BAE employees, their families and the 45-strong ship’s company, the royal 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’.

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’.

A year later, Kate met Royal Navy sailors from HMS Glasgow at Windsor Castle to hear about the ship’s progress and their experiences in the Royal Navy. 

After the naming ceremony, the couple stepped aboard to meet representatives from BAE Systems who have been leading the delivery of the vessel, as well as others from the Royal Navy to discuss the ship’s unique capabilities.

The Princess was congratulated on naming the ship and appeared relieved it had gone to plan.

The Prince and Princess were then driven a short distance down the road to the BAE Systems’ Shipbuilding Academy to meet apprentices and graduates.

They heard about the shipbuilding and maritime training the students have received, including craft trades such as fabrication, electrical, sheet metal work, welding, and pipefitting – all of which contributed to the construction of HMS Glasgow.

The couple’s long held rivalry was once again put to the test as they were tasked with racing to complete a pipe building challenge, a STEM exercise used to teach secondary school pupils.

Aided by second year pipe apprentices Natalie Black and Rory Hamilton, the couple got to work building their pipes while chatting.

As the Princess swiftly began screwing her pipes together, Ms Black told her: ‘You look like you’ve done this before,’ prompting the Princess to tell her it was her experience playing with the childrens’ toys.

Prince William, who spent more time chatting than building, later claimed he had not realised it was a race.

Deborah Lynch, an early careers and skills practitioner at BAE, declared the Princess the winner, only for her pipe construction to collapse, prompting much laughter.

The Princess was then asked to screw in a wing nut to complete an inclinometer, the gadget traditionally fixed to a ship to measure its tilt, which will be put on display in the bridge.

‘It’s so beautifully made,’ she said. ‘I look forward to seeing that in place if I come back another day.’

The Prince and Princess also met a cross-section of BAE Systems employees from different backgrounds, trades and skills involved in the building of the ship, and members of HMS Glasgow ship’s company and their families.

The Princess repeatedly described how impressed she was by the sheer scale of the ship, the number of people involved in the build and the technology on board.

‘It’s so exciting to see it all come together, all the technology is so impressive,’ she marvelled. ‘What’s really interesting as well is seeing the international interest.’

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

The Princess told another employee: ‘It’s a really proud moment for the UK but particularly, Glasgow, because there’s such international interest.’

She met several children, parents and grandparents of employees, telling them it was so important for family members to come and see the work after ‘so much time and effort had been invested’ and to share the experience.

‘It must be a very proud day for you, to see what your loved ones do on a day to day basis,’ she told one grandmother. ‘The technology is so advanced. Have you had a look around? I find it fascinating.’

She told another family member that the 3D animations she had seen ‘looked very James Bond’ and another that she hoped the sunny weather would prove ‘a good omen’ for the ship.

The Princess was introduced to Lt Simon Hartland RN and his son, Teddy, 11.

‘Have you got any aspirations to be in the Navy?’ she asked Teddy. ‘I was just hearing, there are so many jobs that you can do. Have you started coding yet?

The Princess told some employees that it must be ‘great to be part of something so new and cutting edge.’

She added: ‘Everyone’s very excited about the gadgets on board, everyone’s raving about them.’

The Princess said: ‘It’s a very proud day for me to see all the hard work that’s been going on behind the scenes.’

Asking one young girl what she thought of HMS Glasgow, she said: ‘She’s pretty impressive. I’d seen a picture but I didn’t realise she was going to be that big.’

She told another employee: ‘It’s so special, when I saw her, I was like, ‘wow’.’

Before leaving, the Prince and Princess were given a bottle of the Clydeside Distillery whisky. The couple visited the distillery when they were in Scotland for Cop26 in 2021.

The Prince joked that he thought it a shame that the whisky was wasted by smashing a bottle on the ship.

Tim Morrison, the distillery founder, suggested they use a drop of cold tea instead, to much laughter.

The Princess asked why whisky was used rather than champagne and was told it was because Elizabeth II had once christened a ship with whisky from Morrison Bowmore Distillers, which the Morrison family previously owned.

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.

On arrival at the shipyard, the Prince and Princess were met by Jacqueline McLaren, Lord Lieutenant of Glasgow, Sir Simon Lister, managing director, of BAE Systems Naval Ships and Commander Phil Burgess, senior naval officer on HMS Glasgow.

‘It’a so great to see her, she’s fantastic,’ Kate said at first sight of the vessel.

Cdr Burgess escorted the couple past a guard of honour made up of the ships company for a royal salute.

A piper marked the start of the 25-minute ceremony before a P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft from 120 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth performed a flypast.

Sir Simon and Second Sealord Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell, gave speeches.

Sir Martin Connell thanked the Prince and Princess for their support in reaching the milestone.

‘From the first ever HMS Glasgow, sailing under the Royal Navy flag at the end of the 17th Century to the ship we see here in the 21st Century, HMS Glasgow has evolved and adapted to meet the warfighting and operational demands of its day,’ he said.

‘Each metamorphosis saw shipbuilders adapting materials and designs so that crews could operate each successive HMS Glasgow on operations and in conflict and war.

‘The result of this being 11 battle honours – HMS Glasgow’s pedigree is awe inspiring.’

He hailed the ship as ‘a pure-bred Anti-Submarine Warfare platform, setting the standard for naval warfare’, which was ready to ‘meet the global and geopolitical challenges of today’.

He continued: ‘HMS Glasgow and her class represent the next chapter of naval innovation, safeguarding the UK’s interests and contributing to national prosperity.’

Sir Simon said the naming ceremony marked ‘quite a moment’ for Glasgow.

‘There are many sons and daughters of this city here today and you should be proud to say you are helping Glasgow to flourish,’ he said.

‘HMS Glasgow is a reminder of the role ship building on the Clyde plays on the global stage’, he added.

‘Your efforts have started a legacy you should be rightly proud of, that will put us on a stronger footing for years to come. To HMS Glasgow, go well, fair winds and following seas’.