Kate Middleton kept magical promise to young girl as her and Prince William’s Scottish Tour drew to a close

Kate Middleton's pink dress stunned on this special occasion

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge during her meeting with Mila Sneddon, aged five, and her family, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on May 27, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland
(Image credit: Photo by Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Royal Tour of Scotland drew to an emotional close as the Duchess of Cambridge kept a very special promise to a young royal fan. 


Kate Middleton showed her caring side once again during the final day of her and Prince William’s Royal Tour of Scotland as she kept a magical promise to a royal fan. Prior to Kate's arrival on May 24, Prince William reminisced about meeting Kate at St Andrews 20 years ago and the couple later returned to the place where their love story began. It was during this trip to Fife that Kate's heart was won by an adorable baby, though it was Prince William's reaction that really got fans talking. 

Whilst this week-long Royal Tour likely had many highlights, another came on the final day when Kate wore a beautiful pink dress for a special meeting with a young royal fan. 

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge meets Mila Sneddon, aged five, and her family, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on May 27, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland

(Image credit: Photo by Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Five-year-old Mila Sneddon featured in the emotional portrait, Shielding Mila, which was a finalist in the photography project, Hold Still. This project was spearheaded by the Duchess of Cambridge and encouraged people across the UK to submit photographic portraits that reflected their experience of lockdown.

The poignant picture shows Mila kissing the window as her father Scott stands outside. During lockdown, her family made the difficult decision to isolate in separate households to protect Mila, who was undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Ahead of the publication of the Hold Still book, which features the winning entries, Kate spoke with several finalists, revealing that "cuddles are very, very important" in an emotional phone call. Her conversation with Mila was the first in this series of calls to be shared on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new official YouTube channel. During this, Mila can be heard adorably asking: “Do you have a costume?”.

Kate answered: “I’m not wearing a princess costume right now, I’m afraid Mila. Do you have lots of dressing-up outfits yourself?”

The sweet conversation between the two continued as Mila told the Duchess that her favourite color was pink.

Kate responded with a lovely promise, telling Mila: “OK, well I have to make sure I go and try and find myself a pink dress so that hopefully, when, one day, hopefully, Mila we’ll get to meet and then I’ll remember to wear my pink dress for you. Would that be nice?”

See more

Now she has been true to her word, as Kate Middleton’s pink dress delighted young Mila when they finally got to meet at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh during the Royal Tour. Both wore stunning outfits for the occasion, with Kate’s dress a slightly darker shade of rose compared to Mila's delicate pastel pink one. 

"I want to give you a big, squeezy cuddle," Kate told her warmly. "I love your dress. Can you give it a twirl?"

A delighted Mila swirled her pink dress around her, to which the Duchess exclaimed: “Wowzas!”

This wonderful conversation was shared with royal fans in the form of a video posted by the Duke and Duchess on Twitter. The clip opened with Mila being told that she was going to get to meet Kate at the palace and her excited reaction couldn't have been more adorable. 

Kate Middleton and Mila's special meeting came at the end of a week-long Royal Scottish Tour and will likely be a memory both of them treasure in the years to come.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!