Kate Middleton is a shoe-swapping pro and her suede Chelsea boots were my favourite pair she wore in Scotland

The royals are masters of quick clothing changes and the Princess of Wales swapped her sleek knee-high boots for a pair of equally stunning - but far more practical - Chelsea boots during her visit to Stirling. She and Prince William spent the day shining a spotlight on Scottish heritage traditions and the competitive couple tried out curling at the National Curling Academy.

Recognising that her first time trying the ice-based sport didn’t call for heels, Kate swapped into black suede Tod’s boots. They’re incredibly timeless and have the traditional elastic side inserts, as well as a rubber outsole with embossed detailing.

This was the first time we’ve seen the Princess step out in these particular boots, so it seems they might be new to her collection and I actually prefer them to her knee-highs from this visit.

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Flat Chelsea boots like this are a great day-to-night shoe to have in your winter capsule wardrobe, as they’re comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time but are a style step-up from other ankle styles. Unlike knee-highs, you also aren’t as limited with what you can style them with shape-wise either.

Designs that come up slightly higher like Kate’s Tod’s ones are more leg-elongating and are the most versatile. They look great with jeans or tailored trousers, as well as with midi dresses and skirts without you having to worry about them cutting off your leg at a tricky point.

The future Queen wore her suede boots with a Le Kilt & Johnstons of Elgin skirt that put a twist on a Scottish kilt. Made from cashmere, it had pleats and adjustable leather straps that gave it a refined finish and it fell just above her boots.

This created a lovely flowing silhouette and I think a longer jumper dress would also complement Chelsea boots like this perfectly. They’re not the kind of footwear you would wear in the snow, but outside of utterly terrible weather, leather Chelsea boots are a great choice and suede styles like Kate’s are a softer alternative.

Everything from suede handbags to shoes have surged in popularity in the past few years and this fabric brings a gorgeous amount of textural contrast to an outfit. This is especially helpful in the winter months when we’re all layered up to keep warm and want our looks to have a bit more dimension to them.

The Princess of Wales’s black suede Chelsea boots wouldn’t be as much of a stark contrast against denim or lighter colours, as the material balances the deepness of the colour. This pair is a little smarter and more fitted than Kate’s other pair of well-worn Chelsea boots, which feature a chunky cleated sole and are made from brown leather.

She wore her See By Chloe pair for a visit to "Dadvengers" - a community for fathers and their children - in 2023 and styled them with dark wash jeans, a casual jumper and Barbour jacket. On that occasion she was out in the rain rather than on the ice rink, though Chelsea boots remain one of her go-tos.

They were clearly grippy enough for her brief spell of curling too, as although Kate’s first attempt went a bit awry, she later successfully threw the stone and it stopped right in the middle. A delighted Kate celebrated by punching the air and high-fiving Jennifer Dodds, who was part of the team who won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics.