Kate Middleton speeds round a BMX track, consoles a young boy after he falls off his bike and high fives the crowd on trip to Scotland

Kate Middleton showed off her natural ease with children as she today comforted a ‘brave’ boy who fell of his bike – and later jokingly introduced herself as Prince William’s wife to a group of children asking who she was.

The Princess of Wales, 41, was effortlessly charming as she high-fived very young supporters on a visit to the Outfit Moray charity in Scotland which delivers outdoor learning programmes to young people.

The royal knelt down as she reassured one child that falling off his bike ‘is part of learning’.

‘Are you OK,’ she checked, putting an arm around him. ‘You are so brave.’

She then asked him where his bicycle was – to which the shy boy pointed – and encouraged him to ‘jump on’ and ‘give it another go’.

Elsewhere, she then chatted with a group of excited young bike enthusiasts who asked who she was.

‘I’m married to William,’ she quipped, smiling at the kids. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when visiting Scotland, are spending the day in Burghead, Moray and Inverness.    

After she donned a helmet to jump on a mountain bike she met with young children who waved Scottish flags while grabbing the Princess’s hand.

The couple thrilled well-wishers with an impromptu display of their bike skills during a mini-tour of the north of Scotland.

Excited crowds cheered William and Kate on as they donned crash helmets and rode bikes around a series of ramps and other obstacles laid out in community gardens during a visit to Burghead, Moray.

The couple were visiting the town to learn more about the work of charity Outfit Moray, which arranges outdoor learning and adventure activity programmes such as mountain biking for young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem.

They spoke to the chief executive of the charity and a group of schoolchildren before boarding their bikes, with William asking children questions including what sports they enjoy and what football teams they support.

He was later overhead to say he found a see-saw on a bike ‘tricky’, but both he and Kate managed to complete the circuit unscathed, encouraged by shouts of ‘Go on, William’ from well-wishers.

Hundreds of people lined the town’s main street to catch a glimpse and take pictures of the couple as they then made their way to Burghead Primary School, where they watched bike feats performed by children in the playground.

William answered questions put to him by pupils, including one who asked if he had brought any of the King’s Guards with him, while Kate volunteered to time a bike race between a few of the other children.

Another child cheekily asked William how old he is, and when the prince asked back what age the pupils think he is, he acted shocked when they replied 57, and said: ‘I’m not that old.’

The royal couple came dressed for traditional Scottish weather, with Kate wearing a padded jacket and jeans and William in a wax jacket and chinos as the sky threatened rain.

However the rain held off long enough for the pair to finish their conversations ahead of the school bell going off, which they took as their signal to leave.

Outfit Moray chief executive Tony Brown said after their departure: ‘It’s our 20th anniversary this year and what a great way to celebrate that milestone and look forward to another 20 years.

‘Since the Covid pandemic we’ve seen a significant rise in mental health issues with young people, particularly around anxiety and loss of confidence.

‘Being outdoors in nature and doing physical things is really good for mental health.

‘Gettting as many young people out on our programmes as possible is a way of helping those that might be facing challenges.’

Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson said meeting William and Kate is something the schoolchildren will remember fondly for the rest of their lives.

‘I think it’s a real delight for the kids and a real treat for them to meet royalty in real life,’ she said.

‘I remember the Silver Jubilee in 1977 and King Charles coming to Quarrier’s Village in Renfrewshire.

‘I saw him when I was five in a crowd like you see here today and that has lived with me my whole life.

‘These kids will remember this for the rest of their lives.’

Burghead Primary School acting head Martin Collins said he overheard William and Kate speaking to a person assisted through hard times by Outfit Moray and found them to be deeply interested in the charity’s work.

‘It was really nice to meet them, they were really relaxed right from the word go,’ he said.

‘Prince William was very engaged and very interested in the wonderful job Outfit Moray do.

‘It was lovely to see them getting on their bikes, the audience just loved that.

‘It was wonderful for the children to have this experience. It was fabulous to see.

‘There will be a wonderful feeling around Burghead tonight, for sure.’

The mental health theme of William and Kate’s day-long tour continued as they visited Brodieshill Farm, near Forres.

They learned about the support being offered to young people at the business, run by Robert Manson and his wife Nicola, along with his parents Colin and Irene.

The couple met members of Lower Speyside Young Farmers and Farmstrong Scotland representatives to speak about their work promoting positive mental health in rural communities.

Lucy McGillivray, who farms at Glenlivet, Moray, and is a National Farmers Union Scotland representative, said William and Kate were interested in her farming journey as well as the impact of recent floods on the region.

 She said: ‘A couple of members lost their lives in the flooding and there has been a huge amount of financial loss; for example, fields of crops worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

‘I just really explained the impact of the flooding and they were asking where I lived and about the subsidies.

‘They were just lovely people – really down to earth.’

William and Kate also met families based nearby at RAF Kinloss and Lossiemouth who attend the farm’s indoor and outdoor play areas.

As the 45-minute visit drew to a close, a beaming Kate could not resist playing with the young attendees, running about searching for pumpkins on the grounds.

Kate radiated elegance in a Check Diamond Quilted Coat from Burberry .

She layered the jacket over a black turtleneck jumper, black trumpet jeans and heavy-duty Reiss boots, and styled her thick brunette locks in loose waves.

Meanwhile Prince William, also 41, looked sharp in a khaki jacket and navy trousers.

It wasn’t long before the Princess, who is known for her sporty and competitive streaks, jumped on a mountain bike to take it for a ride – and she beamed while doing so.

The couple’s visit today has three destinations; Outfit Moray, Brodieshill Farm and the DAY1 mentoring charity.

Outfit Moray offers young people in the area accessible and affordable outdoor learning workshops.

The aim of the work is to encourage the generation to get outside, help them develop life skills and improve their mental and physical health in doing so.

In particular, the charity helps children aged between eight and 18 who are vulnerable or from disadvantaged backgrounds. Since its inception in 2003 Outside Moray has worked with more than 16,000 young people.

Among the activities the charity involves young people in are mountain bikinh, paddlesports, rock climbing, archery and bushcraft.

It also runs a number of programmes in local schools such as cycle training, bike maintenance and first aid programmes.

Brodieshill Farm is a family-run operation where the Lower Speyside Young Farmers have gathered to meet the royals.

Farmstrong Scotland representatives are also chatting to Their Royal Highnesses about how the organisations are supporting the mental wellbeing of young people in rural communities across Scotland – and local farmers in particular.

Lower Speyside Young Farmers is run for young people from any background from the ages of 14-29 across the local area and provides opportunities for socialising and interaction in what can sometimes be an isolating environment.

The group has recently taken part in the ‘Are ewe okay’ campaign led by the Scottish Association of Young Farmer Clubs, which encourages members to talk about mental health and break down the stigma and taboo associated with it.

The couple’s third and final engagement of the day is the DAY1 charity in Inverness, which provides mentoring, training, personal development and employability services to vulnerable young people.

The charity aims to equip its young people with the social and emotional skills to succeed in life through mentoring and personal development programmes. These allow participants to build self-reliance, selfconfidence and helps them identify their own interests giving them clear direction in their lives. 

The charity also owns and runs the social enterprise, Inverness Kart Raceway, which serves as the location for its apprenticeship scheme in Automotive Skills.