Trendspotting: The Princess of Wales has been trying to make “patterned/tartan coats” into “her thing” for much of the past year. She even went so far as to “design” her own tartan coat (which didn’t fit properly) for a recent event. Well, today she chose a patterned coat which looks tartan-y from a distance, but as you can see, it’s more of a mod circular pattern. Bold! For Kate, it’s bold. Anyway, Kate was in west Wales today, Pembrokeshire to be exact. She visited “Melin Tregwynt, a woollen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs.” Interesting enough, Kate will also visit another local business with a royal connection… to the Duchess of Sussex.
The Princess of Wales is set to travel to west Wales on Tuesday for a visit to Hiut Denim, a premium jeans manufacturer based in Cardigan that was propelled to international attention after being worn by Meghan Markle. Kensington Palace confirmed the engagement last week, with Catherine scheduled to tour the family-run business as part of her ongoing efforts to champion British textile producers and independent enterprises.
The Welsh brand holds a notable place in recent royal fashion history, having been thrust into the global spotlight in 2018 when the Duchess of Sussex chose Hiut’s high-waisted Dina skinny jeans for an official visit to Cardiff alongside Prince Harry.
The appearance sparked what co-founder David Hieatt described as the “Meghan Markle effect”, generating a surge in demand for the company’s products.
“In the next four weeks, we are moving into a factory that’s three times the size and we’ve hired eight new people the Meghan Markle effect is real!” Mr Hieatt told People at the time.
Please, this is so funny. It just reminds everyone of how much research Meghan did eight or nine years ago too, the fact that she was highlighting this little-known Welsh brand and putting it on the map. Eight years later, CopyCatherine stumbles through the same company, demanding that they give her credit for ALSO highlighting it!
Something else Kate-related: she made another “undercover” visit, this time to an art gallery. Why is she doing these under-the-radar visits to arts-related stuff? She has one of the biggest platforms in the world and she acts like it should be a dirty little secret that she’s going to see ballet shows and art exhibits. And then her “work schedule” is full of busywork like random mill visits and Meghan copykeening.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- 03/02/2026. Castlemorris, UK. The Princess of Wales during a visit to Melin Tregwynt, a woollen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs in a remote wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast. Her Royal Highness met Melin Tregwynt’s director, Louise Clarke and then spent time with weavers at the loom and learned about the skills required for Welsh double cloth weaving, which Melin Tregwynt is renowned for.,Image: 1071751024, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image is free for use but may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- 03/02/2026. Castlemorris, UK. The Princess of Wales during a visit to Melin Tregwynt, a woollen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs in a remote wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast. Her Royal Highness met Melin Tregwynt’s director, Louise Clarke and then spent time with weavers at the loom and learned about the skills required for Welsh double cloth weaving, which Melin Tregwynt is renowned for.,Image: 1071751028, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image is free for use but may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- 03/02/2026. Castlemorris, UK. The Princess of Wales during a visit to Melin Tregwynt, a woollen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs in a remote wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast. Her Royal Highness met Melin Tregwynt’s director, Louise Clarke and then spent time with weavers at the loom and learned about the skills required for Welsh double cloth weaving, which Melin Tregwynt is renowned for.,Image: 1071751037, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image is free for use but may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- 03/02/2026. Castlemorris, UK. The Princess of Wales during a visit to Melin Tregwynt, a woollen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs in a remote wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast. Her Royal Highness met Melin Tregwynt’s director, Louise Clarke and then spent time with weavers at the loom and learned about the skills required for Welsh double cloth weaving, which Melin Tregwynt is renowned for.,Image: 1071751045, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image is free for use but may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever. All rights reserved., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon
Just Maybe if there is a divorce or her complete stepping down,as an Arts major she might actually want to enter that world in a real capacity.
Why is she always grinning like a Hyena 🤣🤣🤣 also Meghan likes to clasp her hands together, Kate is stealing all her mannerisms 😳
@SWAS, clasping her hands so tightly they turn white is the only way she can tame those flyaway hands and prevent them flapping around!
Someone’s had a word with her. When even the Daily Fail comments section talks about the flyaway hands it’s a bad sign.
@Neeve
Art history isn’t an artistic discipline, but a humanities one. Besides, this dullard has no skills whatsoever..!
Really, what do textiles have to do with the Arly Years? I’m totally out of patience with this woman indulging her every whim on the taxpayers’ dime under the guise of “work.”
Kate? Work? Surely you jest.
Also, her visit to the art gallery–why didn’t she take one of her kids with her? Introduce them to art early!
She can’t. She’d be competing with Rose, who has REAL nous when it comes to the Arts (and fashion). I suspect that’s what she’s doing now with these sudden “secret” visits which always get detailed in the tabloids anyway – laying the groundwork to claim that SHE is the real arts person among the aristos.
That is one of the most hideous outfits I’ve seen her wear, and she has worn a LOT of hideous outfits.
Neeve, did you mean that if there is a divorce Kate will get a JOB in the arts? You need a fictional comedy award.
I don’t understand this coat. Perhaps it’s the angles of the shots but it looks like it doesn’t meet in the middle properly let alone have one side wrap over the other.
And again, perhaps it’s the angles but I don’t see any buttons
it looks like something that my grandmother crocheted.
It looks like a 1970s afghan!!!!
It is actually a traditional Welsh fabric, I bought some of the fabric for my mum to make herself a skirt about 30 years ago, different colourway but it was a lovely quality. As a coat I think it is just too much.
To me it looks like 70’s sofa upholstery fabric. hope JD doesn’t do a state visit anytime soon.
In my family home way back in the 70’s we had tiles in the bathroom that remind me of the pattern.
I wonder if its meant to be more of a “topper” and less of a coat?
It is the wrong colour combination. It must have worn with white, brown or yellow shades not black. Then the turtle neck is inappropriate for this design. This is styling mistake. Even the shade of black doesn’t look black at all. It has the hint of green. Totally inappropriate. Good try with new design. But operation success, patient dead.
“But operation success, patient dead.” Okay, that last line just made me laugh. Yes, the coat is fine but the styling is not.
LMAO! I’m so glad I picked this article for the end of the day.
@Christine same 😂
She’s such a lazy mess. Imagine her out in the wild with a 9 to 5 job and family to take care of? I cannot.
Hear me out,is she just a product of her hubby’s laziness. Isnt she the one who supposedly convinced Peg not to quit uni? If her hubby wasn’t so lazy do you think she would have stepped up.She is a doormat so she follows whatever he says,but she is also a robot and had she had someone who was willing to work hard I think she would too. Now its sadly just ingrained,but if she had hit a good rhythmn from the beginning she may have turned out different.
No, she has always been lazy when it comes to work. she never really worked between university and getting married, she apparently always copied other people’s work at St Andrews, etc. I would say that her laziness may have been part of her appeal for William. he knew he didnt have to worry about her outworking him.
I’ve actually wondered just the opposite, if Will might have turned out differently if, like Harry, he’d been able to attract a woman who he really cared about, and who reinforced whatever positive qualities he had, instead of ending up among the Middletons, who’ve helped reinforce his worst tendencies. He’s the one who’s had a “job” or at least, a path to follow, and maybe under other circumstances, he would have found some fulfillment in the role he was born into.
And Kate has shown she’s far from a doormat or robot when it comes to showing off and making sure she’s the center of attention wherever she is.
I agree with @Becks1; always suspected one thing that made Kate attractive in the end was she shared the same goal as Will, to do as little actual work as possible.
Charles is the one who kept William at university. He moved from art history to geography because he was not going to class and it looks like they gave him a royalty special degree so that he would be the first prince who failed out of university.
Kate wouldn’t even have been dating William, or if she was it was early on and she wouldn’t have had any ability to get him to do anything. The crown really whitewashed what went on at St Andrews because William really was extremely lazy there too.
@windyriver its an interesting thought. I think a big difference between harry and william is that Harry met Meghan when he was a mostly fully formed adult (i say mostly bc we know even adults can continue to grow and change). I wonder if William hadn’t met Kate in 2000 or whenever, and had been actually single in his 20s – maybe he would have found something he actually cared about, and that might have helped him find someone he actually cared about.
I know many people who met in HS and college and are still married decades later. But sometimes it also leads to….stagnation, maybe? a lack of growth?
I also think William never felt he had to prove himself like harry did. so who knows what would have happened had he not gotten sucked into the Middleton orbit.
If he quit Uni, she may not have had a chance with him. Carole must have been coaching her.
If she did persuade him to stay in Uni (and you absolutely know Charles had a lot to do with that, too), then it was because she didn’t want to be married to a drop-out. She cheated (according to multiple reports) her way through St. Andrew’s and she probably convinced him that as the heir he’d get easy passes too.
Her laziness has nothing to do with William. This is who she has always been. This is why you can look at all of the Middleton children and see that each of them have married far more “successful” or wealthy people to compensate for their ingrained laziness. Her marrying the laziest prince only highlights hers laziness more than if she would have married someone who believed in working and giving back to society. That’s why Harry and Meghan fit so well together as a couple and as partners in work. They are both similar regarding their work ethic and their desire to help others.
Kate was kept in William’s circle once she got in because she was available to him when he wanted and she kept her mouth shut.
She didn’t have a work ethic in any regular sense but she was persistent and that mostly involved tolerating the numerous humiliations he placed on her.
So kate was never going to challenge William to be a better person because she was always desperate to just be accepted by him. Almost two decades later we can see that this only leads to both of them looking miserable.
@Becks ITA. I know there are certainly plenty of high school sweethearts or whatever who made it work, but I was a completely different person than I was when I was 17 by the time I met my husband.
@Becks1 – I know (remember?) less about what William’s younger years were like (because of the H&M doc I’m more familiar with Harry) – but another factor must have been the surrogate family Harry found in his late teens in Botswana: Prince Seeiso, and in particular, the couple he was so close to (forgot their names) that appear in the recent picture of him CB posted. Maybe that’s what Will thought he found when he ran across the Middletons. One difference too with Harry – hadn’t he already sought out some therapy before he connected with Meghan? I don’t remember hearing anything whatsoever about Will and therapy, and he needed it just as much. He faced a completely different set of pressures (and influences) due to his position, along with similar trauma from Diana’s death. I really am curious if there’s anything at all Will is or was at one time actually interested in, apart from football. And if he wasn’t so resentful of Harry, maybe Harry could have been a model for him to do things differently.
Not arguing here! Just curious what might have lead to a different outcome, because I tend to agree that for whatever reason or reasons, Will has been stuck in the same place for years.
ETA: Oops! Should be part of the thread to the right.
So the welsh jean company did very well with the Meg effect!! Is Can’t trying to out do that effect with her non effect lol. Or will the place now close its business because she brings no effect whatsoever lol. One must never underestimate what she can’t do.
Some of you don’t believe me, but I swear, Meghan’s ponytail from last week shook this woman. This is the second “look” she’s done that involves experimenting with slicking her hair back. No, not also a ponytail, but she’s trying.
This is my last comment today I swear. But did Kate or Miss Sunshine read all the criticism of the doll hair and coat dresses and decide to switch things up?
She can’t slick her hair back because that would show up all the tracks of the fake hair that she wears. (She does NOT naturally have that much hair in a ponytail – see the recent skiing pictures). That’s why she’s got it pouffed up like that at the front. It’s very old-lady like, but it’s very Kate.
Those skiing pictures — can Kate honestly not see how much better she looked without all of those pounds of extra hair??
Omg that coat is such a seventies look I feel like my aunt has one similar in her attic right next to her prized troll doll collection… Kate should have left that coat in an attic imo
This coat wants to be the carpet from “The Shining.”
I had a coat in that colourway in the early seventies, different pattern but Orange was fashionable then, the first house I bought 1978 had an orange kitchen as well.
The whole outfit is heinous!
She is building her network of enterprises to issue royal warrants when the time comes for her to issue royal warrants. 🤷🏽♀️
Maybe that’s it.
I bet she is going to SWF all the places Meghan first promoted and give them royal warrants.
Already there are media stories giving credit to Kate about Strathberry bags when it was Meghan who first promoted them.
Kate has been copying others and taking credit for their ideas her whole entire life and this is more of the same. Natasha showed us just how much Meghan and her friends are being watched by them.
Colonialists don’t create, don’t invent, don’t work. They conquer and plunder ideas, resources, labor and then they claim they are superior to those they colonize. They are mediocre people with a superiority complex. They create systems and institutions to oppress and suppress, to enforce their ‘supremacy’ within those systems and institutions. Kate is using the levers of the royal institution to capitalize from ‘the Meghan Effect’. 😔
It’s important for people to document it for historical posterity 📚 💻 . Don’t let them erase history like they’ve been doing for ages. The British Empire was built on the ideas and resources of plundered kingdoms that were superior to the English but they destroyed evidence within the civilizations they conquered and plundered and locked away artifacts in their museums. People, including those from the conquered and plundered lands, have to pay to see some of them displayed (not all) in those museums. Many of the artifacts are locked away to hide the truth.
Another thing, Kate’s racist views (revealed by Piers Morgan on British television) aligns with the actions of Kate’s colonial mentality. 😏
Colonizing Meghan’s lifestyle, Meghan’s actions, Meghan’s ideas, Meghan’s fashion and claiming they’re Kate’s is par for the course for colonialists.
Many people – including some Meghan supporters – will eventually accept the ‘new Kate’ and forget that she colonized Meghan.
That’s why documenting what Kate is doing to Meghan is important for history.
The thing is, if companies which got “put on the map” by Meghan believe that they will remain on that map thanks to a royal warrant or any sort of attachment to Kate, they will be in for a swift and unpleasant awakening. Hopefully they research the REAL “Kate effect” before proceeding.
Speaking for myself, any company applying for and brandishing a royal warrant from the racist, jealous grifters Kate and William, who orchestrated an international smear campaign against a genuinely nice, harmless pregnant lady and continue to do so to this day even after said campaign nearly cost her her life and subsequently caused a miscarriage, will be loudly proclaiming their “values” and there is no way I’d spend a brass farthing on any of their products.
The original owners from Meghan’s days as a Royal sold the company last year. It seems the new owners are establishing a relationship with Kate but the media is still using Meghan’s name to promote the brand.
Colonialism in effect. It needs the media propaganda to succeed. History is written by the victors. In this instance, keeping the Meghan out of the U.K. allows the Windsors unchallenged use of the Meghan’s name and identity in the U.K. 😞 🤷🏽♀️
I believe there are many principled people like you but not everyone is as principled. The Windsors are counting on the support of the unprincipled people out there.
What in the repurposed 1970’s upholstery hell is that coat??
So. Much. Orange.
It’s almost psychedelic, and is making my irises work too hard- kind of spasming. Yikes
“as part of her ongoing efforts to champion British textile producers and independent enterprises”: They tried early years, they tried nature but nothing came out of these “initiatives”, so now it’s time to try clothes and patterns…whatever sticks..anyway, as far as her secret visit to an art gallery is concerned (and the ballet the previous week), I believe it’s an effort to present Kate as intellectual with artistic interests…the bland image she presented for years isn’t working anymore and people want something more than a “clothe horse”, especially as she becomes older…whatever…
A pretend culture vulture.
I’d like to know whether these unannounced cultural venue visits are considered work or not. I’ll get we’ll find out at the end of the year totals. What good are they if they’re not announced ahead of time & we only find out incidentally with an instagram post? And the press needs to stop calling these visits ‘secret’. That’s just dumb.
Let’s hope her support does not kill the business.
A bold fabric, for sure, like the rug in a 1970’s billiard room – made less bold by the stiff and stuffy tailoring of the coat.
My Mom had a couch that looked to be made from the same fabric plus the obligatory shag rug in burnt orange, brown and rust. It was hideous then and still is now.
I remember kitchen appliances in those colors. 🤢
Does the print have a 70s vibe? I don’t love it. But it’s fine. Just maybe not my style.
It’s funny bc Kate has been making herself a champion of U.K. textiles….which has kind of been Anne’s thing, right? Maybe Anne doesn’t mind Kate taking that on as well. But the royals are so weird about whose thing is what that it does make me wonder what Anne thinks. Maybe she doesn’t care. If the tables were turned though and Anne was all of the sudden doing tennis related events, would Kate care? Yeah. She would.
Anyways, what’s interesting is this seems to be a private visit with an in-house photographer as opposed to something the rota was invited to attend. Will rota be at the Hiut visit or just the one photographer? I’m always curious about how they decide when to include rota or not. I get it for certain sensitive visits but why in this case? So there’s no Andrew questions? Like the rota would dare ask Kate, please.
That’s a Welsh pattern, probably from the Melin Tregwynt mill. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Forgive me 😆
It’s an interesting fabric for sure. Not my favorite but I can still appreciate it. Maybe it’s the styling. I can see someone really rocking it. I’m trying to think of how I would style such a coat. Maybe jeans? Imagine it with a pair of the Hiut jeans. That could’ve been cool.
I think most Welsh textiles are used for curtains, blankets, and cushions. My husband is Welsh and he was fortunate enough to inherit a Welsh blanket that belonged to his grandparents. These items are wool and heavy, and the patterns are beautiful and intricate. Very much like Irish wool design, it’s a seriously skilled craft.
@Maryanne Davies I can see looking good as an accent cushion (pillow)
Hard agree!
I like the color and pattern, but the fabric itself seems stiff and hard, or maybe it’s the tailoring, with the stiff shoulders and lapels. I’d like to see it less structured.
I like the pattern and find it interesting. I don’t love the colorway, but I do like the coat style, in that it’s actually a shape I like wearing.
The fit is off, as others have pointed out, it looks like it can’t close in the front? And paired with the green monochrome underneath it looks very Christmassy. I’m glad she’s trying a pattern, I guess.
That is the wrong green to pair with the coat. It looks like she tried to match it with the green from the coat and chose the wrong tone.
I liked the fabric as well, but not as a coat, too much, maybe as a body warmer, with dark coloured jeans and shirt, not sure what colour with just the photo. Perhaps find the right shade somewhere between green and brown, it does appear to be back in fashion. Not an easy thing to wear.
I also think it’s gorgeous! Sometimes I question my own taste when everyone else seems to despise something that I love. But I do think this is the best piece that Keen has worn in a long time.
If you have the nerve to SWF, then at least make an effort to look drop dead gorgeous. She looks a haggard mess.
I like the coat actually. Its a nice pop of color for her. but it always throws me off that she so rarely takes the coat off at these engagements – it just looks like she’s always ready to leave. It’s been a thing she’s done for years and years (not taken her coat off) so I dont think its because of her current extreme thinness.
the secret over the weekend visit was weird. Again with the coat on the whole time (it looked like she was ready to make a break for it at all times.) but why secret and under the radar? clearly pictures were taken and it was announced on KPs social media so its meant to count as a work event. but why the secrecy? is this just another level in the idea of not announcing their visits ahead of time – is there that much concern that Kate isn’t going to appear or isn’t going to look well so they dont want any of the rota there even as an embargoed visit?
Becks1, I think it’s shades of H&M. We consistently find out what H&M are doing because pictures of pictures posted on SM. The difference (IMO) is that WanK’s engagements should always be publically announced before hand. This must be what the “new” kinging will become when Billy Idle becomes King. They really don’t get the fact that the public wants an opportunity to see them. This is interesting.
C’mon, she’s in Wales shopping for textiles and gallery-worthy artwork for those Forest Lodge redecorating mood boards the Fail told us about. That’s why the gallery visit was “under cover.” Maybe she thinks shopping British justifies the huge FL redecorating expenditures.
Meanwhile, I like the coat pattern–it’s a welcome change from the usual vertical buttons lined all the way up the center front. Naturally the single button is high up on her chest, because she always demands high waists to lengthen her legs. That said. Orange is not her color. I have similar coloring and she needs to stick mostly to emerald and burgundy. I guess orange is a fun change-up once in a while.
C’mon, the visits were to pick out artwork and textiles for the massive Forest Lodge redecoration mood boards the Fail told us about. That’s why she went “under cover” to the art gallery (with cameras in tow). Maybe she thinks shopping British is a good excuse for when the massive FL redecoration bill is leaked.
Oh, and she’s copy-keeing Meghan too, as you all have already said.
Meanwhile, I actually like the cut of this coat. It makes a welcome change from the usual strict vertical row of buttons up the center front. It’s true that orange and olive aren’t her colors; she’s a winter like me, and she should mostly stick to emerald, blue, and burgundy. But I guess orange is a fun change-up once in a while.
The coat actually looks too small for her, so imagine how small the coat must be.
It’s not my favorite color combo — though my grandmother crocheted me a vest in those colors in the late 1970s — and she should have paired it with brown, not green.
She just can never pull off an entire look.
I’d suggest pairing it with winter white, jumper and trousers could have been sensational
I’m interested in the coat. I wish these were better photos of the whole outfit!
She is so alarmingly thin now that she looks like a bobble-head doll …
So textiles is where Kate might sprinkle her fairy dust, otherwise known as royal warrants? I would almost bet the Hiut Denim company is going to get a royal warrant, then, so that it will always be associated with her. At least they gave Meghan credit for putting it on the map. It’s hard to ignore that, since there was so much publicity at the time. Do companies have to supply the royals for a couple of years before being considered? Does one apply, or do royals just appoint. Of course, Hiut Denim could always graciously refuse. Kate’s coat looks like a morning coat. It look very loud and cheerful. We used to have a shag rug in the rumpus room with the same colours.
I suspect that Meghan highlighting small brands like Huit Denim engagements when she was a working royal must have really upset Kate.
Just copy-keening as always. Cannot can’t help showing her never-ending Meghan obsession, resulting in a visit to this mill. She can’t hide that she has no original thoughts ever and yes, in this case, Meghan went there first! Unfortunately for Cannot, Meghan has repeatedly shown herself to be a leader and a trendsetter and definitely not a pathetic copycat!
And Meghan is still doing it if you consider the bookmark from asever.
I love this coat! I have a penchant for bold patterns – if it looks like your granny’s couch, I’ll wear it! I’ll even extend some style credit to Kate that I think the idea of the turtleneck and the almost teased/bouffant pulled back hair is also kinda retro. It’s the first time in a long time that I am actually curious about the rest of her outfit – is it a skirt and boots, completing the vibe? I’m at least curious.
Now, neither the olive green nor the orangey red are particularly flattering on her colouring and I think they look costumey together, but it’s something. The bar is set real low for this one, lol.
I like the fabric – color included. I don’t care for the coat design and Kate looks terrible.
Was The Hyena asked any Padrew questions?
No bc the visit was not attended by any rota reporters. Just an in-house team with one photographer.
The coat is too big! It looks extra large because she’s so thin…..also, her skin is grey and her hair looks more dead than usual.
“Under the radar” means without William or the kids. Something the public cannot see because they might all start to believe something that doesn’t fit the narrative the court and tabloids want you to believe.
I’m in the minority here, but I really like the coat/fabric. Unfortunately, Waity just doesn’t have the personality to carry something quirky like this.