Princess Kate Radiates Confidence on Rare Solo Outings Across Suffolk and Kent

The Princess of Wales was all smiles as she stepped out for the first of her two solo outings on Thursday morning. Kate, 43, looked elegant in a tweed trouser suit by Bella Freud, black knitwear and high heels as she arrived at Sudbury Silk Mills in Sudbury, Suffolk.

The royal mum-of-three is carrying out engagements in both Suffolk and Kent to celebrate the unique skill, creativity and craftsmanship of British textile manufacturers. Later today, she will also visit Marina Mill in Cuxton, Kent, a family business that specialises in hand designing and screen- printing furnishing fabrics.

Kate, who is famed for her style, 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. She has family links to the industry as her paternal ancestors were the owners of the woollen manufacturer and merchant, William Lupton & Co, which was based in Leeds.

Back in January, the Princess was given a tour of Corgi, a family-run business in Ammanford, near Swansea, which specialises in handmade socks and knitwear. During the outing she “archived” all of her own children’s clothes, noting that the garments that had been well made always “wore really well”.