The Princess of Wales said she ‘loves the feel and smell’ of freshly woven fabric as she was given a tour of a Leeds textile mill today.
Kate Middleton, 41, proved she more than has the textile industry in her blood as she visited a leading Yorkshire mill that bought out her own family manufacturing firm 65 years ago.
In 1958 her paternal great-grandfather, Noel Middleton, helped to sell the family business, William Lupton & Co, to A W Hainsworth in Pudsey, West Yorkshire after more than 160 years in business.
So when the princess decided she wanted to undertake a visit to highlight the thriving nature of the British textile industry, their busy factory was the obvious choice.
Wearing a green suit by British brand Burberry and matching heels with eye-catching gold jewellery, Kate grabbed handfuls of freshly-woven Merino wool fabric and declared: ‘ I love the feel of it and the smell of it!’
In one humorous moment, Kate was shown a mannequin, named Oliver, who was dressed in the King’s Guard military uniform made by the mill, calling it ‘amazing’ to see how the garment had been constructed.
The Princess of Wales said it was ‘amazing’ to see how a King’s Guard uniform is constructed as she was given a tour of a Leeds textile mill today
Kate was elegant in a dark green suit as she visited a textile mill in Leeds which was once owned by her family today
The royal mother-of-three couldn’t help but share a laugh with one worker as she was given a tour of the factory
The mill also has a special family connection to royal – her ancestors owned a textile business known as William Lupton & Co, before selling it to AW Hainsworth in 1958
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Kate rewore an elegant forest green trouser suit by Burberry for the outing in Leeds, pairing the trendy jacket and pants with a white blouse.
The Princess first wore the trendy two piece when she welcomed Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway to the UK in March.
During today’s engagement, she paired the outfit with matching heels and chunky gold jewellery.
She opted for a set of gold earrings from sustainable British jewelry brand Shyla London, which – fittingly – ‘prides itself on being ethically motivated’ and strives to combat the pollution and climate change caused by fast fashion.
The royal mother-of-three also rewore her £234 gold necklace from Laura Lombardi, a piece which is more of a statement piece than the jewels she regularly chooses.
She first wore the chain when visited Radio 1 last year, where she paired it with a gold heart locket.
During today’s visit, she swept her hair into her signature bouncy blow dry style, and opted for a natural makeup look.
A W Hainsworth is a family-owned heritage textile mill, established in 1783, which manufactures British woollen cloth, high-performing technical textiles, and iconic fabrics. It holds a royal warrant belonging to Queen Elizabeth II.
Now it is an integrated, vertical textile mill which supplies fabrics to a wide range of customers – from fashion legends such as Chanel and Burberry, to the emergency services and even the guardsman outfits worn by soldiers outside Buckingham Palace.
They also made the fabric used for the uniform worn by Prince William on his wedding day and the sweet little jacket sported by Prince Louis at King Charles’ coronation in May.
Starting off in the area of the mill where raw merino wool from Australia and New Zealand is combed out, the Princess said: ‘You can smell the lanolin, I love it.’
She quizzed staff about why they used more wool from overseas than British wool. ‘Is it because it is more fine?’ she asked .
She was told that it was because the sheep wool’s was affected by the amount of time they spent outdoors in the sunshine.
The Princess also visited the weaving section where she spent several minutes pouring over the giant looms, as well as the dyeing area where fabric was being turned red for Buckingham Palace military uniforms.
Her eye was also caught by a group of ladies packing cream blankets with a distinctive colourful stripe for Canadian firm Hudson Bay, part of a batch of 1,600 that are being made and packed to send out in time for their Christmas market.
The company is renowned for its impressive heritage in textile design and creativity (pictured)
The Princess was animated as she chatted to members of staff at the printworks earlier today (pictured)
The Princess viewed items from the archives with Creative Director Emma Douglas during a visit to Standfast & Barracks printworks in Lancaster
‘I really recognise this,’ she said.
‘I think we were given one on tour to Canada as a gift. So I’ve still got it. It’s in a box. I’ll take photograph and send it to you.
‘I use it for the children all the time. I am going to double check when I get home and look at the label.’
She added: ‘Is this a nice environment to work? There seems like a real family essence to the place, which is really lovely. It most be great to see the whole process. ‘
Chairman Andrew Wright explained: ‘I think the fact we start with the machining and move right the way through to treating [pointing to the blanket]. I think there is maybe only one other place in the country that does that. And we have more breadth. ‘
Kate added: ‘As a consumer it is so nice to be able to tell that story to understand where the produce comes from.’
The last stop on her tour was the laboratory, where new techniques are carried out and the princess watched a fire retardant test.
She also met a life-sized mannequin sporting the finished guards uniform
‘It’s amazing to see it actually made up,’ she smiled.
Outside she chatted to staff, bending down to pick up a sample of green felt she had been given that she accidentally dropped. She explained that it was use inside pianos for the keys to strike and that she herself played.
The Princess with founder of House of Hackney Javvy M Royle during a visit to Standfast & Barracks printworks in Lancaster
The Princess of Wales looks at printing machinery in operation with printer Matt Craven during a visit to Standfast & Barracks printworks in Lancaster
Zeb Akhtar, senior weaver trainer who talked the princess through some of the process, said afterwards: ‘She was very interested in the process and I talked her through how we made the cloth for the Guards on the somet loom. She had a good background knowledge.
‘The princess wanted to know how it would stop if anything happened and as we were talking a thread snapped and it stopped automatically. We can make a hundred yards in an eight-hour shift.
‘It was such a pleasure to have her, very good. We feel very proud at being a royal warrant holder. We work hard and look after the royal family whenever they call upon us.’
Rachel Hainsworth is the seventh generation of the family to be involved in the mill’s operations – and her son is about to become the eighth.
It was her father – known to staff as Mr John but at 91, too frail to attend the event – who oversaw the sale of the Middleton’s William Lupton & Co company to Hainsworth.
She explained that the sale came about at a time when the British textile industry was feeling the pinch from new markets.
Luptons made a specific item known as collar meltons, the material that rests under a smart suit collar, in 120 different colours. At the time they sold them to firms including Burtons and AW Hainsworth were keen not to lose that expertise.
‘My dad had just joined the company and oversaw the sale of Luptons. We bought the stock and goodwill and moved it down the road here,’ she explained.
‘It was an important business at the time because our mill had a fire previously and anything we could do to strengthen our brand was good and keep the business moving. We are still making the collar meltons today.
Kate also heard about how the industry is transforming to place emphasis on sustainable practices as well as how it is working with academic institutions to educate and upskill young people
The royal mother-of-three appeared in high spirits as she spoke to staff members at the mill today
The Princess could be seen studying the details on the uniform as she spoke with members of staff about the mannequin
In one humorous moment, Kate was shown a mannequin, named Oliver, who was dressed in the King’s Guard military uniform made by the mill, calling it ‘amazing’ to see how the garment had been constructed
‘It’s amazing to have the princess here today and see everything come full circle.
‘We make all the different ceremonial uniforms. We didn’t know until the day of his wedding that William was wearing ours, but we were incredibly proud to see it.
‘We chatted about her family history, she said her parents had been talking to her about it. She was very interested to hear about the collar meltons and how they are still going, which was such an important part of their business.
‘My father is so proud that we have that connection and we have the icing on the cake by her coming here.
‘It was nice for her to come and see where it all began. It’s all about the craftsmanship as well as innovation. The basis of this all is how to make good cloth. People definitely value the quality we offer here. There’s no fast fashion. If you buy a Hainsworth piece, you buy for life . ‘
Later this afternoon, Kate visited Standfast & Barracks in Lancashire, a printworks dating back to 1924 which is now part of the Sanderson Design Group
The Princess, who is known for her down-to-earth nature, appeared in high spirits as she spoke with staff
The Princess was beaming as she chatted to employees at the mill in Leeds today as she learned more about the processes and manufacturing
The royal mother-of-three couldn’t help but share a laugh with one worker as she was given a tour of the factory
She opted for a set of gold earrings from sustainable British jewelry brand Shyla London, which – fittingly – ‘prides itself on being ethically motivated’ and strives to combat the pollution and climate change caused by fast fashion
The Princess appeared particularly interested in the manufacturing process of the wool at the mill today
During the visit today, she learnt about the manufacturing process of textile – from yarn to fabric – and how traditional machinery and techniques are the backbone of today’ s industry
Phil Pickard, wet processing assistant manager, added: ‘She took such an interest in the raw wool to the final product and very interested in the new technology we are investing, as well as our people, and how we are looking at making the process more environmental working. Io’ve been here 23 years and have worked my way to management level. There’s a very happy workforce here. People stay here for decades,’ he said.
Managing director Amanda McLaren showed the princess around and said she felt hugely encouraged by her passion to support the British textiles industry.
She said: ‘We were chatting about her family’s business and the collar meltons they made. She’s very interested, she recognises that the UK textile industry needs the spotlight and support and the long-term encouragement in this country to withstand many, many hundreds of years more. People aspire still to British-made textiles and we should be proud of that as a nation.
‘We supply interior fabrics to the royal household, to the PPE market, fire technical fabrics and in the fashion industry Balenciaga , Gucci, Balmain, Valentino…all high end, high-brand labels who are looking for the best quality cloth they can acquire. It’s unbelievable this happens in a corner of West Yorkshire, ‘
Kate could be seen gesturing to the hem of her trousers as she arrived at the mill in Leeds this afternoon
Perhaps it should come as no surprise given her reputation as one of the most stylish women in the world that the Princess can trace back her roots to one of the great dynasties of Yorkshire textile manufacturing
The royal mother-of-three offered a wave to royal fans who were awaiting her arrival at the textile mill
During the visit today, she learnt about the manufacturing process of textile – from yarn to fabric – and how traditional machinery and techniques are the backbone of today’ s industry
Kate appeared in high spirits as she arrived at AW Hainsworth, a family-owned heritage textile mill which was established in 1773
Animated as always, Kate was chatty as she spoke with a member of staff as they arrived at the mill in Leeds today
Kate swept her hair into her signature bouncy blow dry style, and opted for a natural makeup look for the occasion
The Princess of Wales appeared in high spirits as she arrived at the mill, which was once owned by her ancestors
She means business! Kate looked smart in the forest green trouser suit for the outing today, which she paired with matching accessories
Meanwhile the royal mother-of-three opted for statement gold jewellery for the outing in Leeds this afternoon
‘The princess had obviously done her research. Lot of good questions at each stage and intrigued about what happens here but also how we are filling the skills gap, encouraging the next generation in.’
In a display at the reception, the princess saw one of her iconic dresses, worn on a public engagement when pregnant with her daughter, Princess Charlotte, in 2015 made by Madderson London using A W Hainsworth ‘Doeskin’ fabric.
The UK fashion and textiles industry contributes £20 billion to the Uk economy annually and employs 50,000 people.
The Luptons of Leeds date back to the 17th century – Kate’s seven times great-grandparents’ graves can still be found at St John the Baptist Church, Adel – but their fortunes were made in 1773 when one William Lupton set up a small textile firm.
His son, Frank (born in 1813 and Kate’s great-great-great grandfather), transformed the modest family business in the second half of the 19th Century, after buying a a former cloth mill in Whitehall Road, Leeds, and expanding into manufacturing woollens, worsteds, fancy tweeds and other fabrics to make livery and police uniforms.
The business took off so successfully that he and his wife, Fanny, joined the elite of the local industrial titans and bought a sprawling Victorian mansion in the north of Leeds called Beechwood, employing six servants.
When family patriarch Frank died following a heart attack in 1884, he left a staggering £64,650 in his will – the equivalent of more than £32 million today.
The couple had five sons, the eldest being Francis Martineau Lupton, who joined the family firm and married vicar’s daughter, Harriet Davis.
Francis Lupton became an alderman of the city of Leeds (his three surviving brothers also reached the upper echelons of local society, with one, Hugh, becoming the city’s Lord Mayor).
He and Harriet had five children in all, but in 1892 Francis was sadly widowed in the Leeds influenza outbreak, leaving him to care for three sons and two daughters, all under the age of 10.
Leeds-based William Lupton & Co was founded in 1773 by Arthur Lupton, the youngest son of yeoman farmer William Lupton, who combined cloth-making with farming
Tragically, his three sons – Fran, Maurice and Lionel – were also all killed during the First World War, leaving their father a broken man, dying of kidney failure at the age of 72.
Of his surviving daughters, the youngest, Anne, never married, although was awarded a MBE for her work improving housing conditions for the disadvantaged.
His eldest, Olive, grew up to become a renowned society beauty and married one Noel Middleton, a successful solicitor descended from a long legal dynasty, in 1914. He went on to become a director of the textiles mill.
They went on to have four children – Christopher, Anthony, Peter and Margaret – and bought a beautiful house called Fieldhead, close to her late grandfather’s.
It was there that Kate’s grandfather , Peter Francis Middleton, was born in 1920. He went onto distinguish himself in the RAF as a fighter pilot during the Second World War.
The business was then greatly expanded by the Princess’ great-great-great-grandfather, Frank Lupton, a magistrate and philanthropist
Kate’s great-great grandfather Francis, was a Cambridge graduate when he inherited his share – the equivalent of nearly £1.5 million – and devoted himself to work
Olive sadly died of peritonitis while on holiday in the Lake District in 1936 at the age of just 55. Peter was just 16 at the time.
But she set up a trust fund of £52,031, the equivalent of £2.9 million for her four children.
Peter Middleton went on to marry the princess’s grandmother, banker’s daughter Valerie, and they had Kate’s father, Michael. He was born in Leeds in 1949.
William Lupton and Co wool mill was sold by the family to AW Hainsworth in 1958 – and in a charming touch have supplied the Royal Family for many decades.
Kate’s great-grandmother Olive grew up to become a renowned society beauty and married one Noel Middleton, a successful solicitor descended from a long legal dynasty, in 1914. He went on to become a director of the textiles mill
They even provided Prince William’s uniform cloth for his wedding in 2011 – neatly bringing the remarkable story of his bride’s family full circle.
Later this afternoon, Kate visited Standfast & Barracks in Lancashire, a printworks dating back to 1924 which is now part of the Sanderson Design Group.
The brand has expertise in both conventional printing techniques including rotary and flatbed printing and ground-breaking digital inkjet technology.
While at Standfast & Barracks, she learnt about the history of the company and see artefacts from the company’s archive.
She then met the founders of House of Hackney, Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle.