The Princess of Wales left a group of school girls giggling yesterday as she stopped to chat with them about their school holidays.
Kate, 43, visitedMarina Mill, in Cuxton, Kent, a British family business that specialises in hand-designing and screen-printing furnishing fabrics on Thursday.
The fabric makerssupply dozens of royal homes – from Buckingham Palaceto Clarence House to Highgrove – and are world- renowned for the quality of their fabrics, as well as the fact that they still do everything by hand.
After a joyous afternoon, the Princess stepped outside where she was greeted by a gaggle of smiling school girls.
Leaning down to meet them at eye-level, she stopped to chat to the youngsters, leaving them chucking with her cheeky charm.
‘Nice to meet you,’ she said, introducing herself. ‘Thank you for waiting. I saw you when I came in, and I wanted to say hello, because you have been waiting very patiently, I gather, have you?’
She then asked the group what school year they were in, to which they answered in unison that they were in year five and six.
Kate asked if they were creative, which received a resounding yes from the smiley group.
The Princess of Wales left a group of schoolgirls giggling yesterday as she stopped to chat with them about their school holidays (pictured)
‘What I’ve seen is lots of amazing people drawing with amazingly detailed designs, it’s really cool. If you ever get the chance to visit!’ she said.
Kate asked the girls if they were glad to be back at school, to which they said ‘no’ in unison before bursting into fits of giggles.
‘That must’ve meant you had a really good holiday,’ she said, flashing a warming smile at the youngsters.
‘Kind of,’ came the response from one, with Kate repeating the words sweetly before bidding her goodbyes.
Kate then took the time to shake hands with several well-wishers who had gathered around to catch a glimpse of the royal.
The royal is no doubt familiar with the reluctance to return to school after the long summer holidays, her own three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, having started the autumn term last week.
Visiting the fabric makers yesterday, the Princesswas the image of elegance in a fitted £1,370 suit as she made the visits – as her brother-in-lawPrince Harry is today set to leave the UK following a landmark meeting with King Charles; their first in 19 months.
Kate didn’t shy away from getting stuck during the visit. Sweeping her luscious locks into an effortless bun and tying an apron around her waist, she tried her hand at fabric printing, receiving high praise from staff.
Kate, 43, visited Marina Mill, in Cuxton, Kent, a British family business that specialises in hand-designing and screen-printing furnishing fabrics on Thursday
After a joyous afternoon, the Princess stepped outside where she was greeted by a gaggle of smiling school girls
Outside, she was greeted by scores of children from the local Saint Gregory’s Primary School, who cheered and waved Union Flags as she arrived
‘It’s very trusting of you,’ laughed the princess, who asked personally to visit because of her passion to highlight the importance of the British textile industry, as she was shown a silk screen printing press and a tub of bright yellow paint. ‘Please not this one. It’s too beautiful!’
Taking off the jacket of her stylish checked suit, she put on a black apron and listened intently as workers Sam and Adam showed her how to transfer the colour from the screen, which had been engraved with a stunning floral pattern, onto the fabric by pushing through the coloured dye using a squeegee.
‘It’s a real labour of love,’ she remarked. ‘Do you have to do things in a particular order?’
She leaned over and helped place the heavy screen on the table over the material and then waited as Adam pushed the squeegee towards her.
She then picked it up half way and completed the sweep, before catching some more paint on it and pushing it back to him.
Concentrating heavily, she asked a few questions about where she should place her hands and appeared delighted when she pulled it off without a mistake.
She then helped Adam carry the screen down to the next segment of fabric, repeating the exercise three times. Apologising for her nervousness, Adam asked her: ‘Do you want the radio on?’
‘Does it become second nature and you don’t actually think about it?,’ the princess asked, giving the squeegee a wiggle. ‘Impressive,’ she was told. ‘So I’ve passed, that’s good!’ She replied.
The Princess of Wales chatted with adorable wellwishers as she stopped for a conversation with some children after the visit
The royal looked to be in high spirits as she got to take a look at the materials on display this afternoon
Kate was the image of elegance in a fitted suit with what is understood to be a Prince of Wales print
The Princess of Wales pictured during her visit to the Sudbury Silk Mills in Sudbury this afternoon
The royal, pictured during the visit today, was the image of elegance as she sported a suit and heels
The Princess had kicked her day off with a tour of Sudbury Silk Mills, a Suffolk-based firm employing more than 100 staff.
It produces cloth for top fashion houses, interior designers, and heritage institutions.
She look at the design studio, where she was shown how historic archive patterns inspire modern designs, before moving onto the weaving floor to see traditional looms and state-of-the-art machinery in action.
She was welcomed by Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, William and Kate’s former private secretary and top aide, now Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk.
Staff said the Princess spent time speaking with everyone she met, sharing words of encouragement and praising the skill involved in producing such high-quality fabrics.
Steven Harris, head of production, recalled the Princess spotting a detail on a piece of fabric and saying, ‘You’ve got the job.’ She added: ‘You’ve got to have an eye for detail,’ highlighting the precision and care required in the craft.
During the visit, she spoke with account manager Beth Humes, 35, emphasising that artisan skills are ‘still vitally important’ and describing the ‘Made in the UK’ hallmark as a global symbol of excellence.
Textiles are a personal passion for the Princess, whose paternal ancestors once owned William Lupton & Co, a woollen manufacturer in Leeds.
Palace aides noted her long-standing commitment to the sector and its cultural importance, pointing out that she has previously visited mills in Leeds, Lancaster, and South Wales to champion British craftsmanship.
