The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, undertook her first ‘away day’ since 2023 and visited Wales. Since completing her chemotherapy last year, Kate has been taking it slow but the year 2025 came with a bang and this was her 3rd engagement of the new year. She has also taken over 2 new patronages this month. Princess Kate’s last visit to Wales was in September 2023. Her last out of the town engagement was also in September 2023 when she visited her ancestral textile mill in Leeds.
Princess Kate Middleton undertook 2 engagements in Wales. Kate first visited Tŷ Hafan, a children’s hospice based in Sully, near Cardiff. Ahead of the engagement, Kensington Palace announced that The Princess of Wales just became the patron of Tŷ Hafan. Tŷ Hafan translates from Welsh to ‘Haven House’ in English. King Charles and his first wife, Lady Diana, also used to be the patron of this Wales based Children’s Hospice.
“The wellbeing of children and their families has always been close to The Princess’ heart. The first patronage Her Royal Highness took on on becoming a Member of The Royal Family was EACH (East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice) and she maintains a close relationship with the organisation to this day. The Princess is looking forward to building a similar relationship with Tŷ Hafan and the children and families it serves in Wales.”
Tŷ Hafan supports families in Wales to ensure that children with life-shortening conditions live fulfilling lives, supported with the compassion and specialist care that they and their family need. Tŷ Hafan was founded in 1999 by Suzanne Goodall, after a decade-long fundraising campaign. Before Tŷ Hafan, there was no children’s hospice in Wales. Lady Diana was part of the charity’s fundraiser but unfortunately she never got a chance to visit the patronage itself. In 2001, the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, took over the patronage.
Kate has been championing the young kids since she became a member of the Royal life. Her lifelong project the Early Childhood saw its first big step when in 2019 she established The Royal Foundation of Early Childhood. Kate’s first patronage after her marriage to Prince William in 2011 was EACH (East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice).
During the visit, Princess Kate met with the children receiving care at the hospice as well as their families. Her Royal Highness then joined a ‘stay and play’ session where the children enjoy meaningful play and activities alongside their care. Kensington Palace has donated musical instruments to the charity to allow them to conduct more sessions in the future.
The Princess also met with bereaved families supported by Tŷ Hafan throughout their children’s lives, deaths and beyond. The Princess let ten-year-old Lottie paint her hands red to leave a memento. Lottie’s sibling, Felix, 12, is being cared for at the hospice. After leaving the handprint, Kate signed it with her Christian name, Catherine.
The second engagement of the day was an interesting one – Princess Kate visited Corgi, a textiles manufacturer in Wales, focused on the production of socks and knitwear. Corgi was founded in 1892 by the current owners’ great great grandfather, selling socks to miners. In the 1960s, the company expanded to include traditional men’s knitwear including jumpers and scarves. The company now employs 50 people and exports to 34 countries, making around 200,000 pairs of socks a year.
The Princess of Wales was received by Lord-Lieutenant for Dyfed, Sara Edwards, and Lisa Wood and Chris Jones, the brother and sister who own the business. During her time at the textile, Kate met with the design team and heard more about the company’s creative and design process, including how they work in partnership with world-leading brands on collaborative lines. Her Royal Highness then went out onto the factory floor and met members of the production team, heard about their work and viewed some of the technical processes in action.
Kate, who has an excellent fashion sense and eye for style, appeared fascinated by the intricate processes used to make the socks and other knitwear, stopping to ask staff questions as she was given a tour.
Kate took a seat at one machine where employee Shauna Kinsey, 24, showed her how to ‘link’ the toe to the sock, stitch by stitch. She then tried her hand at the socks making and giggled when she failed and declared, “I am terrible at this”.
Outside some 15 minutes drive away from the textile, a group of locals has gathered to see her. The Princess of Wales, who is famous within the royal family for her lengthy walkabouts, stepped out of her car and greeted the locals.
Kate was presented with a banana by Lily-Rose and refused to take it back and threw it away. Laughing, Kate went to pick up the banana and handed it to her parents.
What Princess of Wales wore for her first visit to Wales in 2025
Heading towards Kate Middleton’s style choices of the day, The Princess kept it simple with some familiar pieces.
- White Chris Kerr coat – Repeat from Wales visit in February 2023
- Zara Printed Dress – Repeat from January 2020 when she visited Bradford
- Spells of Love Alia Hoops – Repeat from Barry Island in Wales in August 2020
- Welsh Wedding Band with Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring and a platinum band
- Russell and Bromley 100 Point Blade Heel Court Shoes – Repeat from September 2022 Troop visit

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