We're not even halfway through September, but it's proving to be one of the busiest months for Princess Kate in a long time. After kicking off the month with new blonde hair at London's Natural History Museum on September 4, the princess attended a rugby match (and went back to bronde hair), and honored Queen Elizabeth on the third anniversary of her death. On Thursday, September 11, she was out yet again, visiting textile mills in Sudbury and Cuxton, England in a classic gray suit.
The Royal Family is following a period of mourning to honor the Duchess of Kent, who died on September 4 at the age of 92. The Princess of Wales has been wearing shades of black and gray at her engagements since the late duchess's death, and she wore a simple black T-shirt with a gray plaid blazer and matching trousers. In keeping with her celebration of British craftsmanship and its textile industry, she chose a suit by London-based Bella Freud, as identified by eagle-eyed fan @_mirelabeleva_ on Instagram (via Royal British Fashion).
Her suit also paid tribute to Prince William and her royal role, as its pattern is a Prince of Wales check. This is the second time in the past week Kate has worn an on-trend plaid design; she debuted a new gray tartan Alessandra Rich dress on September 8 while visiting the National Federation of Women's Institutes branch in Sunningdale, England with Prince William.
Prince William wasn't the only one on Kate's mind as she chose her outfit. Like she did on September 4, the Princess of Wales wore her gold Daniella Draper Fixed Alphabet Necklace that features the initials of her three children: G, C and L. She added diamond accented gold hoop earrings by the designer and black Stuart Weitzman pumps, wearing her hair down in soft waves.
Princess Kate has long been flying the flag for British fashion and craftsmanship, with some of her favorite designers including Catherine Walker, Jenny Packham and Alexander McQueen. During her visits on Thursday, the Princess of Wales highlighted the heritage of Britain's textile industry—a tradition that has run in Kate's own family.
Kate's parental ancestors owned a woolen manufacturer in Leeds, England, and on Thursday, she learned about the creative process behind textiles, from drawing the patterns all the way to the weaving floor.
Next week will be a particularly busy one for the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Duchess of Kent's funeral will be held on Tuesday, September 16, and the following day, Donald and Melania Trump will arrive at Windsor Castle for their official two-day state visit to the U.K.
