PRINCESS Kate looked elegant as she got hands on at a silk factory yesterday – and sent a poignant message to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with her outfit.
The outing came following King Charles having his bombshell meeting with his US-based son.
Catherine, Princess of Wales wore head-to-toe British designers on a visit to Sudbury Silk Mills yesterday[/caption]
The royal mum-of-three also wore a £495 gold Daniella Draper necklace, which included her children’s initials of G for George, C for Charlotte, and L for Louis[/caption]
The necklace was a sweet tribute to her three children[/caption]
This follows Prince Harry’s fleeting four-day visit to the UK this week, where he met with his father, King Charles[/caption]
The Duke of Sussex saw his father in Clarence House, London, for a “private tea” lasting 55 minutes – almost double the time Harry got with his father last year.
Harry had not seen Charles since he jetted back for 30 minutes last February, after the King’s cancer announcement.
Stepping out at Sudbury Mills in Suffolk, Princess Kate opted for head-to-toe British designers for her chic ensemble.
This included a £845 ‘Earl’ jacket, Bella Freud £525 ‘Schoolboy trousers’, a black Boden jumper and gold hoop earrings by Daniella Draper, worth £2,450.
She also made a special tribute to her three children with her £495 gold Daniella Draper necklace, which included her children’s initials of G for George, C for Charlotte, and L for Louis.
While Princess Kate regularly champions British designers, the look reinforced her allegiance to her “king and country.”
Fashion director Laura Craig claimed in the Mail: “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.”
Harry rounded off his flying four-day visit to the UK by paying tribute to his late mum Princess Diana.
He arrived at a bash for the Diana Award in London just hours after meeting Charles for their first face-to-face chat in 19 months.
The Duke then made his way to the airport to fly home to California to be with his wife the Duchess of Sussex and their children.
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
Laura Craig
It comes almost two months since Harry’s spin doctors were photographed meeting the King’s communications chief.
William was not at the tea party as he was travelling back from an engagement in Wales.
Tensions have been high between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family[/caption]
The once-close brothers’ long-standing rift shows no sign of healing, with the pair not meeting at all during Harry’s four-day stay.
A spokesperson for Harry told how he “loved” being back in the UK and “catching up with old friends” and colleagues.
They said: “He’s obviously loved being back in the UK, catching up with old friends, colleagues…
“… and just generally being able to support the incredible work of the causes that mean so much to him.”
The Princess of Wales during her visit to Marina Mill in Cuxton[/caption]
Princess Kate beamed as she created a screen print during the royal engagement[/caption]
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales was all smiles as she celebrated the British textile industry at Sudbury Silk Mills, in Suffolk.
Kate witnessed looms at work as staff produced fabrics for fashion houses, interior designers and heritage institutions.
She later visited the Marina Mill, in Cuxton, Kent, a family business that specialises in hand-designing and screen-printing furnishing fabrics.
Inside Prince William and Prince Harry’s ‘feud’
TENSIONS have been running high in the royal family since Prince Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California with Meghan Markle.
Their last reported interaction was during the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, but conversations were said to be brief.
The feuding brothers reportedly did not speak to each other despite standing “virtually back to back” among mourners at their uncle’s memorial service last year.
Growing up, Wills and Harry shared many of the same friends who were part of their close, tight-knit circle.
But their relationship took a sour turn after Harry lobbed vile allegations against the Prince of Wales in his memoir Spare – and they are said to have not been in direct contact since the 2023 release.
In the book, he claimed William had physically attacked him and knocked him to the floor in 2019 and made insulting comments about Meghan.
The Sussexes had also targeted Princess Kate, when Meghan claimed the royal made her cry.
The bitter feud was ignited when the Sussexes told Oprah, in their 2021 sit down interview, that certain members of the Royal Family had speculated about Prince Archie’s skin colour.
It was later claimed the royals were Princess Kate and King Charles, after Harry and Meghan’s former pal Omid Scobie published his hatchet-job book Endgame.
During the infamous Oprah interview, the duchess also made stinging comments about the Firm and how they handled her mental health struggles.
Prince William and Harry’s bond then worsened after the Sussexes made a number of accusations against the Royal Family in their 2022 Netflix docuseries.
The duke has given subsequent interviews, such as his most BBC chat in May 2025, that have only propelled bad blood.
