The Princess of Wales used two visits to British textile manufacturers on Thursday to spotlight the nation’s fabric and screen-printing trades while wearing a suit in a Prince of Wales check, a design with a long royal association.
Catherine, 43, toured Sudbury Silk Mills in Suffolk and later tried her hand at screen printing at Marina Mill in Cuxton, Kent, wearing an ‘Earl’ jacket and matching ‘Schoolboy’ trousers by Bella Freud, a black Boden jumper, and diamond cupid hoop earrings by Daniella Draper. The Daily Mail’s Laura Craik wrote that the choice of Prince of Wales check — also known historically as Glen check — carried an implicitly patriotic message and was timed days after Prince Harry met King Charles at Clarence House for their first private meeting in 19 months.
During the Sudbury Silk Mills visit, Catherine inspected design archives and weaving floors at the Suffolk firm, which supplies cloth to fashion houses, interior designers and heritage institutions and employs more than 100 staff. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the couple’s former private secretary who now serves as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, welcomed the princess. Staff said she spoke at length with employees, praised craftsmanship and noted details in finished fabrics; Steven Harris, head of production, recalled her spotting a detail and saying, "You've got the job."
At Marina Mill, a family-run screen-printing firm established in 1967 with a small team of nine, the princess donned a black apron and joined workers in transferring colour through an engraved silk screen. She layered on the practical work of placing and moving a heavy screen and using a squeegee to push dye through a floral pattern, asking questions about technique and sequence. "It's very trusting of you," she laughed to staff during the demonstration. When the operator Adam offered to put the radio on as she concentrated, she asked, "Does it become second nature and you don't actually think about it?" and later remarked, "So I’ve passed, that’s good!" after completing the exercise.
The Prince of Wales check traces back more than 200 years to the Scottish Highlands, where it was originally called the Glen check and later associated with Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales. The pattern has been adopted over decades by a range of public figures and cultural icons, a history often cited in coverage of the princess’s sartorial choices.
Cameron and royal-watchers have long observed that members of the royal household often use clothing to convey support for designers or to mark occasions. Laura Craik, writing in the Daily Mail, described the choice of a Prince of Wales check suit as "coded and patriotic," noting that the pattern is sometimes avoided for public duties because it can photograph poorly but arguing that the symbolic value outweighed such considerations in this instance.
Palace briefings said the visits were requested by the princess because of her interest in highlighting the importance of the British textile industry. At Sudbury Silk Mills she met account manager Beth Humes and designers Mae Littleton and Lucy Spendlove, praising their work as "magical and wonderful" as sketches and patterns were shown being transformed into finished fabrics. The princess emphasised that artisan skills remain "still vitally important" and described the "Made in the UK" hallmark as a global symbol of excellence.
Royal sources confirmed the engagements were part of a sustained programme of patronage that includes promoting British manufacturing and craft-based businesses. The visits come amid broader media attention on the royal family after the private meeting between Prince Harry and King Charles, which the palace described as an attempt to rebuild family relationships.
Representatives for the Princess of Wales did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the outfit was intended as a statement about the family or about the item's historical associations. Coverage in national outlets and commentary columns have framed the look as both a tribute to the title held by her husband, Prince William, and as alignment with the monarch and domestic industry.
The textile visits showcased traditional looms and modern machinery at Sudbury Silk Mills alongside the hand-crafted screen printing at Marina Mill, underlining the range of skills involved in contemporary British textile production. Staff at both firms described the engagement as an opportunity to raise the profile of small manufacturers that supply royal residences and wider British industry. The princess’s participation in hands-on demonstrations and her public remarks highlighted the emphasis of the day: promoting and preserving artisan craftsmanship within the UK’s fashion and interiors sectors.