The Royal Visit to Radical Weavers

On January 20th, something pretty surreal happened: Radical Weavers hosted a visit from the Prince and Princess of Wales (or the Duke and Duchess of Rothsay, as they are known in Scotland).

The Princess has a real interest in fashion and textiles, so she was keen to see heritage skills in action — and somehow, that curiosity led her team straight to us.

When the Princess’s team were looking for somewhere interesting to visit in Stirling, they discovered Radical Weavers and reached out to the Lord Lieutenant for Stirling, Colonel Charles Wallace — who we’d actually met before. He got in touch to see if we’d be interested and whether we felt like a good fit.

We said yes immediately (obviously) and then calmly… panicked.

As you can imagine, the idea of a royal visit sent the whole team into an absolute frenzy. No wall was safe. We renovated a second workshop room. We cleaned everything — and I mean everything — until we were basically back to bare brick.

Huge thanks are owed to Alisdair, Margaux, and Sam, who worked unbelievably hard to make the studio look as good as it possibly could. Some of the renovations had been planned anyway, but suddenly we were working to a very real, very immovable deadline.

Alongside the cleaning and building, we met with the team from Kensington Palace to talk through the visit, what we could offer, and the security arrangements. At that point, we were told there was actually less than a 50% chance the visit would go ahead. There are so many moving parts with something like this that it often just isn’t possible.

Still, we showed them around, talked about our work, and shared what Radical Weavers is really about. And — to our huge relief — they loved it. They understood our social mission, saw the impact we have on our community, and felt what we do was genuinely interesting and worth sharing.

The visit was confirmed.

And the cleaning continued.

On the morning of the visit, the team gathered at the studio very early. The police arrived to carry out their checks, we did some last-minute tidying, and then slowly our volunteers, community members, photographers, journalists, and curious members of the public began to arrive. There was a real buzz in the air.

When William and Catherine arrived, Mairi and Sam went out to greet them — Mairi calm, confident, and proud, Sam quietly (and understandably) nervous just behind her.

They were welcomed into the studio and introduced to Peter (weaving tutor), Margaux (designer), and Sophie (volunteer coordinator). From there, we took them through to our brand-new design room, where Sophie explained our tartan design process. They listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions, and even laughed at our terrible jokes — always a good sign.

After choosing some colours, it was time to head into the weaving room to meet the rest of our community. William and Catherine took their time speaking to volunteers and community members, hearing about what they were weaving and what Radical Weavers has meant to them personally.

Then came a real highlight: Catherine sat down at one of our looms and wove the first few rows of a piece of Wallace tartan, guided by Peter. She picked it up quickly and seemed to fall into a rhythm almost immediately.

Before they left, they were each presented with a small gift — a scarf for William and a tartan rose for Catherine — and then it was time to say goodbye as they headed outside to greet the crowds.

Inclusivity is our most important value at Radical Weavers. Everyone is welcome in our studio, as long as they are respectful and inclusive of others. That includes holding space for different views — including differing opinions about the monarchy.

For us, this visit was a huge opportunity. Being considered “good enough” to host a royal visit was a real vote of confidence, and one the team truly needed. Most of our volunteers and community members are young people, and for many of them this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It boosted confidence, created pride, and gave people a moment to feel genuinely celebrated.

The impact we have on our community will always come first. Personal political beliefs can’t outweigh the chance to give our people experiences that inspire them, lift them up, and remind them that what they do — and who they are — matters.

And honestly? Watching our studio, our work, and our community be recognised in that way was something we’ll never forget.