Kate Middleton visited Wales and took over a new patronage

The products listed in the post have been selected independently. If you decide to buy the product by clicking the link given in the post, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace


Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

“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.”

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

Parachute

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.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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).

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace


Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

Nuts

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

LongChamp

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace


Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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”.

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace
Andrew Parsons//Kensington Palace

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.

Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images

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.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended Royal Collections Gallery Board Meeting

King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended Royal Collections Gallery Board Meeting

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain presided over the second annual board meeting of ...
Princess Iman of Jordan gave birth to a baby Daughter Amina

Princess Iman of Jordan gave birth to a baby Daughter

Princess Iman of Jordan, elder daughter of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, gave birth ...
Princess Leonor's student ship arrived in Brazil

Princess Leonor’s Navy Ship arrived in Brazil

Princess Leonor of Spain, who is on her 6 months long Navy training aboard the ...

Get all the latest posts in your inbox.

Subscribe Here