Princess Kate Celebrates British Textile Excellence in Yorkshire Visit

Princess Kate visited the AW Hainsworth textile mill in Stanningley, Yorkshire, on Tuesday morning and acknowledged her love of exquisite wools. When talking to employees about carding merino sheep wool into yarn, Kate took a handful and stated, “I love the feel of it and the smell of it!” She explored the mill’s traditional machinery and learned about its specialty in a Burberry forest green outfit.

King Charles III loved the British textile industry, therefore the princess visited the 1893 mill as part of a broader promotion. However, this mill is unique to her family. Her great-grandfather Noel Middleton sold William Lupton & Co. to AW Hainsworth in 1958. Kate visited the mill, which has a royal warrant, to see the dyeing process for the fabric that will become Buckingham Palace guard uniforms.

She was curious about the technique, so I showed her how we made Guard cloth on the Somet loom. Senior weaver Zeb Akhtar told the Daily Mail that she had solid background knowledge. “It was great having her. We are proud of our royal warrant. We work hard and assist the royal family when needed.”

She also saw their products on display at the mill. The mill showcases a Madderson London black dress with Hainsworth fabric that Kate wore at her second pregnancy engagement in 2015, together with a guard uniform-clad mannequin. After the visit, she visited Lancaster’s Standfast & Barracks printworks.