Fish and chips, tea and biscuits, strawberries and cream… some combinations will always be quintessentially British. And now we can add a new pairing to the list: the Princess of Wales and the Prince of Wales check.
Stepping out in Sudbury Mills in Suffolk earlier today, the Princess, 43, opted to wear an ‘Earl’ jacket, £845, and matching ‘Schoolboy’ trousers, £525, by Bella Freud, in a classic Prince of Wales check, teamed with a black Boden jumper and gold diamond cupid maxi hoop earrings, £2,450, by Daniella Draper.
All of these designers are British, and there’s certainly nothing new about the princess championing British fashion, an industry that she holds close to her heart, and whose promotion she takes seriously.
But there was something particularly patriotic about her latest look. Nor was it simply that her choice of Prince of Wales check served as a sweet tribute to her husband. More than that, it also seemed to semaphore an allegiance to her king and country.
Since nothing in Kate’s wardrobe is ever worn by accident, it’s hard not to question her design – and timing – in choosing to wear such a coded and patriotic fabric as the Prince of Wales check.
Smart as it is, it’s often avoided by those on public duties due to the fact that the checks don’t always photograph well, and can appear blurry. Clearly, this was of less concern than the message it conveyed.
The message being: here stand the real bastions of the British Royal Family, in all their stalwart dedication to king and country. Any other pretenders can get back in their box – or on a plane to Montecito.
But the check-mating didn’t end there. On a visit to the Sunningdale Women’s Institute on Monday, Kate opted for an equally patriotic look.
Stepping out in Sudbury Mills in Suffolk earlier today, the Princess, 43, opted to wear an ‘Earl’ jacket, £845, and matching ‘Schoolboy’ trousers, £525, by Bella Freud, in a classic Prince of Wales check, teamed with a black Boden jumper and gold diamond cupid maxi hoop earrings, £2,450, by Daniella Draper
Her 18 carat white gold ‘Grace’ diamond and topaz stud earrings were by London-based jeweller Kiki McDonough, while her grey check plaid midi dress was by one of her favourite British designers, Alessandra Rich.
Fans of the late Princess Diana couldn’t help but see its distinctively wide Peter Pan collar as a tribute, this having been one of Diana’s favourite styles.
Truly, it’s a wonder Kate hasn’t yet slipped on a longer, fit-and-flare version of the Union Jack dress that Geri Halliwell wore to the 1997 Brit Awards, so keen has she seemed this week to pledge sartorial allegiance to her country.
Although, given the Union Jack is so divisive these days, perhaps that’s why she did the next most patriotic thing, and opted for a check with a distinguished regal history.
Manufactured in the Scottish Highlands over 200 years ago, the Prince of Wales check was once known as the Glen check, but was renamed in honour of King Edward VII, who was Prince of Wales at the time, after the monarch grew fond of the design.
Since then, it has been worn by a slew of British icons, including The Beatles, the late Princess Diana and three James Bonds: Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Daniel Craig.
An illustrious list, to which we can now add the current Princess of Wales.
All of these designers are British – but there was something particularly patriotic about her latest look.
The message being: here stand the real bastions of the British Royal Family, in all their stalwart dedication to king and country. Any other pretenders can get back in their box – or on a plane to Montecito
Manufactured in the Scottish Highlands over 200 years ago, the Prince of Wales check was once known as the Glen check, but was renamed in honour of King Edward VII, who was Prince of Wales at the time, after the monarch grew fond of the design
It comes after Prince Harry came face-to-face with his father, King Charles, for the first time in 19 months as they held a private meeting at Clarence House in an attempt to ‘rebuild’ their relatonship.
Earlier this morning, Catherine also tried her hand at fabric printing during a visit to Marina Mill in Cuxton, Kent.
It is a British family business that specialises in hand-designing and screen-printing furnishing fabrics, and they supply dozens of royal homes – from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House to Highgrove, and even the Prince and Princess of Wales themselves.
When given the opportunity to try the activity, the mother-of-three didn’t stand on ceremony.
Shrugging off her jacket and donning an apron, she even scooped her long hair up effortlessly into a bun – remarkably without the help of a mirror or hairband – before getting stuck into the job in hand.
‘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.
The Princess of Wales showed off her crafty side as she got into making prints while visiting textile factories this afternoon
The royal, 43, put Britain’s creative industry in the spotlight with a visit to a family-run weaving firm that has been creating jacquard fabrics for more than 300 years – before making her way to another manufacturer in Kent
Never one to shy away from getting stuck in, Kate got to work at the Marina Mill in Cuxton by pushing coloured dyes through an engraved silk-screen using a squeegee
‘It’s a real labour of love,’ she remarked. ‘Do you have to do things in a particular order?’
She left 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.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales looking at a screen print during a visit to Marina Mill in Cuxton today
Kate (pictured) enjoyed deep a conversation with staff as she visited the Kent-based firm this afternoon
The small team of nine people at Marina Mill, which was established in 1967, is known for its artisan craftsmanship
‘So I’ve passed, that’s good!’ She replied.
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.
She also met designers Mae Littleton, 30, and Lucy Spendlove, 28, praising their work as ‘magical and wonderful’ as she watched sketches and patterns transformed into finished fabrics.
