Royal fans have often wondered where the likes of the Princess of Wales store their clothes, and on her outings in South Wales on Thursday, she shared a fascinating insight.
Kate, 43, was given a tour of Corgi, a family-run business in Ammanford, near Swansea, which specialises in handmade socks and knitwear.
As the Princess marvelled at the intricate processes the factory uses, she revealed during the visit that she “archived” all of her own children’s clothes, noting that the garments that had been well made always “wore really well”.
“It’s so lovely to reuse the things that are well made,” she said.
Over the years, we’ve seen Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis dressed in heirloom pieces and hand-me-downs.
Several of George’s outfits have been passed down to his younger siblings, while Charlotte looked to be wearing a pair of her uncle Prince Harry’s red buckle-up shoes on Prince William and Kate’s royal tour of Germany and Poland in 2017.
For his Trooping the Colour debut in 2019, a one-year-old Louis sported a blue and white outfit previously worn by Harry from the 1980s.
READ: Kate Middleton’s Emotional Hospice Visit Honors Princess Diana’s Legacy
Louis was also seen wearing his father William’s sailor suit for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The youngest member of the Wales family has also inherited a petrol-blue Amaia jacket, a collared sweater and red striped dungarees – all from his big brother George’s wardrobe.
Sew good
During her visit to the factory, Kate also tried her hand at sewing a sock on one the machines. The Princess spent several minutes trying to get to grips with the process, laughing at her own efforts.
“It’s so fiddly,” she said. “It’s definitely not my forte.”
The Princess said employee Shauna Kinsey, 24, who has worked for the company for six years, “made it look so easy”.
She added, laughing: “It’s really hard. I’m sorry, I’m so terrible.”
The Princess of Wales was shown around by owners Chris Jones, 56, and his sister, Lisa Wood, 55. The siblings took over the business from their father Huw Jones, 86, in the 1990s.
“It’s so lovely to be here,” she said on arrival. “I’ve been looking forward to it, I’ve heard all about your brand.”
The royal also appeared touched as she was given gifts on departure – a cream, zip up cashmere cardigan, made especially for her, as well as a navy cashmere wrap for her mother, Carole Middleton, to mark her 70th birthday on 31 January.
“That’s so sweet of you, thank you, I wasn’t expecting it,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Kate visited her new patronage, Ty Hafan children’s hospice in South Wales, where she joined a stay and play session with families.
English