On 26 September, Kate Middleton arrived for a visit to the famous AW Hainsworth sewing factory in Leeds, England. It was this company that provided the fabric for the screen used during the anointing of Charles III at his coronation in May. By the way, Kate’s youngest son, Prince Louis, wore a tunic at that ceremony, also woven from this material.
The Princess of Wales got acquainted with the professional handmade techniques, examined the unique fabrics and talked to the employees of the factory. Kate chose a deep dark emerald coloured pantsuit from Burberry for her formal outing and completed the structured look with Emmy London pumps and jewellery from Shyla London and Laura Lombardi.
“They are looking to the future of the textile industry through innovation and education,” Kate warmly praised the factory on the official Welsh blog. – “Apprentices trained here are learning design, dyeing and engineering skills, being part of the next generation driving British textiles forward.”
At the meeting Kate Middleton learnt an interesting fact: William Lupton & Co AW Hainsworth was owned by her great-great-grandfather until 1958, after which he sold it to new owners. So the factory has already prepared a whole collection of fabrics especially for the princess. And later that day, the royal also visited the Standfast & Barracks factory shop in Lancaster.
