Princess of Wales talks proudly about her family connection to a woollen mill in Leeds during a royal visit

Kate told how her ancestors were the owners of the woollen manufacturer and merchant, William Lupton & Co, during her visit to a farm in Ulster this week.

Two years ago she visited the mill in Stanningley, Pudsey, which was sold to the textile company AW Hainsworth in 1958.

Kate’s great-grandfather, Noel Middleton, was a director of William Lupton & Co and participated in the sale of the business, which had been in the family for more than 160 years.

AW Hainsworth, which Kate visited in 2023, has supplied fabric for the royal family, including the ceremonial uniform cloth for her wedding. A royal warrant was granted in 2004 by the late Queen after supplying her with furnishing fabrics.

The company also made the scarlet tunics of the Guardsmen on duty during the coronations of both Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and King Charles.

AW Hainsworth uses a mixture traditional craftmanship and technical innovation to meet diverse markets from haute couture to protective clothing, from cue sports to airline interiors.

William and Kate were visiting Ulster to see first-hand the training given to the next generation, who are learning to tackle a range of challenges, from saving flood victims to rescuing casualties from high-rise buildings.

The royal visitors also tried their hand at saving mock casualties who had fallen into the raging torrents of a flood simulator, but failed to throw the line quickly enough.

The couple were taken a short distance across the 50-acre site of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Learning and Development College, outside Cookstown in Co Tyrone, in the red engine, but travelled at a sedate pace.

The Princess of Wales joked that she wanted a fire engine to travel at top speed with sirens blaring.

During her 2023 visit to Leeds she also stopped at Kirkgate Market and the University of Leeds.