The princess has long been passionate about the importance of the British textiles industry and its role as part of the UK’s cultural and creative voice. Her paternal ancestors were the owners of the woolen manufacturer and merchant, William Lupton & Co, which was based in Leeds.
In January 2025, Her Royal Highness visited Corgi, a textiles manufacturer in South Wales focused on the production of socks and knitwear. In September 2023, she visited textiles manufacturers in Leeds and Lancaster, where she learnt more about the heritage, history, and innovation of the industry, the technical processes involved and how vital the sector is to the UK economy.
SUDBURY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 11: Catherine, Princess of Wales visits Sudbury Silk Mills on September 11, 2025 in Sudbury, England. The Princess of Wales is visiting mills in Sudbury and Cuxton today as she celebrates British creativity and craftmanship. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)Samir Hussein
Her first visit saw her meeting staff at Sudbury Silk Mills, which weaves fabrics for three exclusive companies: Stephen Walters, David Walters, and Humphries Weaving. Employing more than 100 people, they combine traditional artisanal design and weaving with the cutting-edge technology to produce fabrics of exceptional quality. There are more than 40 state-of-the-art looms in operation at the mill, producing a wide range of fabrics all custom-woven for leading fashion houses, interior designers, and heritage institutions.
Sudbury Silk Mills places great emphasis on its people and the local community, and takes pride in generating employment for local people with training and long-term development, enabling them to grow their skills and knowledge. During her visit Kate Middleton spent time with the design team to observe the creative process, from using Sudbury’s archives for inspiration to drawing designs by hand that will be used in future fabric creations. Her Royal Highness then went onto the weaving floor to meet members of the production team, hear about their work, and view the weaving looms in operation, before observing the quality control process and final inspections of finished woven fabric.
A version of this article first appeared on Tatler.
