Kate Middleton visited two historic British textile mills today, continuing her advocacy for the country’s manufacturing heritage, while Prince Harry concluded his separate UK engagements in London.
The Princess of Wales began her day at Sudbury Silk Mills in Suffolk. The 300-year-old family business has operated continuously since the early 18th century and has established itself as a leader in jacquard weaving techniques that produce intricate silk patterns for high-end interiors. It emerged during Britain’s textile boom, when demand for luxury fabrics drove innovation in weaving technology. The mill’s jacquard looms, some dating back decades, still produce the silk patterns that interior designers source for luxury hotels, historic restorations, and private residences across Europe.
Kate’s second stop took her to Marina Mill in Cuxton, Kent, where she toured the small-scale operation with just nine employees. Founded in 1967, Marina Mill specializes in hand-designed and screen-printed furnishing fabrics, and works directly with interior designers to create bespoke textiles for residential and commercial projects. The mill’s hand-printing process allows for color variations and artistic irregularities that distinguish their fabrics from machine-manufactured alternatives.
The Princess has a family background in textiles. Her paternal great-great-grandfather Noel Middleton owned William Lupton & Co, a prominent woolen manufacturer in Leeds that operated for generations before being sold to AW Hainsworth in 1958. Kate toured the Hainsworth facility in 2023 to explore her family’s industrial legacy in Yorkshire’s textile heartland.
Kate Middleton looks on as she helps create a screen print during a visit to Marina Mill on September 11, 2025.
The Princess conducted her textile visits to highlight the economic importance of Britain’s specialty manufacturing sector. Both mills are small businesses that preserve traditional skills while contributing to export markets, with Sudbury’s silks and Marina’s printed fabrics sold internationally.
Thursday’s visits continue Kate’s pattern of supporting British heritage industries, following similar textile mill tours in Yorkshire and other manufacturing regions.
Julia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE Decor, where she oversees the brand’s social media platforms and writes the monthly ELLE Decoroscope column. She covers design trends, pop culture, and lifestyle through storytelling to explore how our homes reflect who we are. Her work has also appeared in Inked magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more.