Prince William and Catherine brought all three of their children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow for a rare joint family outing that delivered handsprings, handstands and at least one firm parental veto.

The Glasgow visit was the first time Prince Louis was old enough to join his siblings at an official sporting event. The Wales family watched netball, cycling and judo across the day, including a netball match between Australia and Jamaica, and were joined by Scottish swimmer Archie Goodburn.

The standout exchange came inside the velodrome. Welsh TV presenter Gethin Jones asked the children whether they wanted to see their parents try a tandem bike on the track. Prince George's immediate reply — "No!" — drew a laugh from the crowd and a quick retort from William: "We embarrass you enough as it is." Catherine had already set up the moment, telling those around her that Dame Laura Kenny, the five-time Olympic champion cyclist, had tried to convince her and William to get on the bikes. "Be careful what you wish for," she said, "as they want to put us on a tandem bike in the velodrome."

Away from the track, the family met gymnasts Abigail and Emily Roper, who both won bronze medals at these Games. George, now a teenager, told the sisters he was "rubbish with anything that involves flexibility." Louis, the youngest, offered his own progress report: "Perfecting your handstand at the moment." He added, with the frankness of a younger sibling: "Charlotte says I'm not very good." Charlotte, for her part, said she can successfully do a handstand.

The Games' unicorn mascot, Finnie, also got in on the action — high-fiving Charlotte and then Louis during the family's walk through the venues.

For spectators in Glasgow, the day offered the unusual sight of the full Wales household together at a public engagement, the three children trading jokes with athletes and broadcasters while their parents fielded questions about tandem bicycles. What carried the outing was not ceremony but the rhythm of a family day out: George declining flexibility, Louis pursuing a handstand, and Charlotte quietly confident she had already nailed hers.