The Princess of Wales gave an update on her eldest son, Prince George, and revealed her evening plans with the children during a visit to textile manufacturers in West Wales on Wednesday.
Kate, 44, stepped out in a vintage Welsh wool coat for her visit to Melin Tregwynt, which produces blankets and throws from a remote part of Pembrokeshire. Later, the Princess visited Hiut Denim, a family-owned jeans manufacturer based in Cardigan, which was famously thrown into the global spotlight after Meghan Markle wore a pair of their jeans in 2018.
Before departing, Kate greeted well-wishers who had gathered outside the factory to catch a glimpse of the royal visitor. She stopped to speak with one man who asked her how Prince George was, and she replied: "He’s doing very well, thank you. They are at school today and I am going to go back and see them this evening."
The Princess, who is also mother to Princess Charlotte, ten, and Prince Louis, seven, briefly mentioned her health and how she is feeling after revealing she was in remission for cancer at the start of last year. The man told her: "I hope you’re getting better really soon after what happened to you." And Kate replied: “Thank you very much. This is good for my soul, meeting wonderful people."
The future queen has a keen interest in fabrics and textiles and has visited a number of weaving mills and manufacturers over the past 12 months. She toured a tartan-weaving studio in Stirling in January and last year visited textile makers in Carmarthenshire, Suffolk, Kent and Co Tyrone, and looked at a William Morris fabric sample book during a visit to the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford, east London.
Where do the Wales' children go to school?
George, Charlotte and Louis all currently attend Lambrook School in Berkshire, where they are in Year 8, Year 6 and Year 3 respectively. Prince William and Kate's children enrolled at Lambrook in 2022 - which also marked Louis' first day at school - after the family's move to Windsor. Previously, George and Charlotte attended Thomas's School in Battersea, and George went to Westavre Montessori near his family's home in Norfolk.
Future King George is set to start secondary school in 2026 - in what will be a big change for the family. The two front-runners are the all-boys school Eton College in Windsor, where William and his brother Prince Harry went, and the co-educational Marlborough College in Berkshire, the Princess of Wales's alma mater.
Kate's creative side - and a gift for William
During a tour of the factory on Wednesday, Kate made a fuss of Mr von Loeper’s English cocker spaniel Barney – the same breed as the Wales’ dog Orla. Her Royal Highness met Claudio Belotti, 75, who has 50 years of cutting experience.
At this point, she had a go at cutting out a pair of organic Mari jeans – the firm’s soon-to-be-on-sale slim-fit women’s denims – and joked there was "no pressure". While cutting, Kate said: "I love making things, so I think I would really enjoy making denims. The most adventurous I got was making a pair of pyjamas… and I don’t know where they have gone now."
The Princess went on to the factory floor, where she learnt about the history of the company and had the opportunity to stitch on a "Made in Wales" label to a pair of £245 organic Hack jeans which were to be given to her as a present for the Prince of Wales. When told the trousers were a gift for her husband, she replied: "He will love those." As a thank-you for the visit, Kate was presented with a pair of Mari jeans for herself and the Hack denims for William.