The Princess of Wales has always been known to be athletic and sporty – but she surpassed all expectations when she completed the Three Peaks mountain challenge over the weekend.
Catherine, 44, climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Wales to raise funds for The Royal Marsden, where she underwent treatment for cancer.
In a video shared online by entrepreneur Phillip Tebajjwa, who was also climbing Snowdon at the weekend, Catherine could be seen climbing down the mountain in hiking shorts, alongside her younger brother, James Middleton.
The Princess appeared to be wearing the £65 North Face Summit Series Pacesetter shorts in the colour iron clay, as identified by fashion website Catherine’s Closet.
Photo: © Phillip Tebajjwa
It meant that Catherine revealed a very rare glimpse of her toned legs, which appeared muscled and strong in preparation for her hike.
Royal fans were left gobsmacked by the royal’s muscled thighs, and rushed to social media to theorise about her workout routine.
One person wrote: “The slender, toned, and divine legs this queen has, please.”
A second theorised: “The training she has gone through to build up for this, is not for the weak! You only have to look at the muscles in her legs to know that she works out a lot and definitely doesn’t skip leg day.”
Why does the royal family rarely wear shorts?
During royal engagements, the Princess tends to wear smart trouser suits and long skirts, which usually reach the ankles. In rare cases that she wears anything shorter, she will usually be seen in tights, as per royal protocol, while lengths are always kept modest.
It means it’s incredibly rare to see members of the royal family in shorts – though they occasionally wear them for more casual or private occasions.
For example, the Prince and Princess of Wales wore shorts in Catherine’s cancer recovery video from 2024. Catherine went bare-legged with trainers – going for a more casual dress code due to it being an intimate family video.
Skirts are usually recommended to sit no more than four inches above the knee, while tights should be worn in all weather.
Meghan Markle didn’t wear tights when she announced her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017, but this is very rare. The late Princess Diana also preferred to go bare-legged.
Photo: © Getty Images
The Princess of Wales’s rigorous fitness routine
The endurance event saw the Princess walk 23 miles, climb 3,064 metres, and travel 462 miles between locations.
Tim Kiek, who previously completed the challenge, said the climb would have taken real fortitude, as well as mountain-specific training exercises.
The Princess of Wales is known to be a big fan of sports, including tennis, rugby, sailing, basketball, and more, which likely helped her prepare for the challenge.
In addition, it’s been said that she’s taken part in CrossFit classes in the past, and reportedly has a gym membership at Harbour Club in London.
She also loves running. Mike Tindall made the revelation during an interview with The Telegraph, saying: “They’re just a family who love sport. Catherine loves her running.”
