William and Kate ‘to spend more time in Scotland under plan to bolster union’

Report claims royals could seek to strengthen ties with their former university town of St Andrews

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could be asked to spend more time in Scotland under plans reportedly being drawn up by palace officials to bolster the union.

If the proposals go ahead, William and Kate would spend more time at Balmoral and strengthen ties with their former university town of St Andrews amid growing concerns about support for Scottish independence, according to The Sunday Times.

Speculation about the possibility of another independence referendum has intensified following the Scottish National Party’s victory in the Holyrood election last month, which produced the largest pro-independence majority in the parliament in the history of devolution.

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has already signalled that she is willing to push for another vote on leaving the UK over the next parliamentary term.

The report on the plans came days after the royal couple’s tour of Scotland, during which William said the country was “so important” to himself and his wife.

On the final day of their visit, William and Kate held a meeting with former prime minister Gordon Brown, who has launched a renewed campaign to save the union, at the Queen’s official Edinburgh residence.

Mr Brown recently announced his Our Scottish Future think-tank, which will work as a “campaigning movement” seeking to appeal to “middle Scotland” - voters who are not strongly committed to the union or independence.

Towards the end of his week-long tour last month, the Duke also gave a personal farewell speech in which he described how Scotland had “shaped” him and praised its people and values.

Speaking in Edinburgh, William said about some of the memorable individuals he had met in the country: “These people make Scotland the vibrant, friendly, innovative and determined place Catherine and I love, and is so important to us.”

He added: “I'm shaped by this place. The abiding affection I feel for it is rooted in my experience of its everyday life in people, relationships, and its ethic of neighbourliness.”

In a statement on the trip, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said the Duke had “spoken to a broad range of people from different communities” during the visit.

The royal sat down for talks with Ms Sturgeon and also met Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland.

Despite calls from the SNP to grant a new independence referendum, Boris Johnson has stood by his pre-election position of opposing another vote and argued that focus should be kept on the recovery from Covid-19.

Additional reporting by PA