Princess of Wales to visit Lancaster textiles company

She will be given a tour of the Caton Road business, and learn about the company’s history, which dates back almost 100 years.

Catherine will also meet young people who have been on their apprenticeship programme.

The visit by the Princess of Wales is part of a wider day where she will be learning more about the heritage, history and innovation of the textile industry, the processes involved and how vital the sector is to the UK economy.

She will also hear about how the industry is transforming to place emphasis on sustainable practices as well as how it is working to educate and upskill young people.

The Princess’ paternal ancestors were the owners of the woollen manufacturer and merchant, William Lupton & Co, which was based in Leeds, where she will begin her day.

She will then travel to Lancaster where she will visit Standfast & Barracks, a printworks dating back to 1924 which is now part of the Sanderson Design Group.

The company is renowned for its impressive heritage in textile design and creativity. It places innovation at the heart of its business and product development.

While at Standfast & Barracks, the Princess of Wales will learn about the history of the company and see artefacts from the company’s archive.

She will then meet the founders of House of Hackney (a British interiors brand), Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle.

Champions of print and craftsmanship, House of Hackney work closely with small-scale factories, including Standfast & Barracks, preserving specialist, age-old trades and local jobs whilst delivering high quality products.

House of Hackney and Standfast & Barracks are working together on a pioneering idea to pilot end-to-end regeneratively farmed materials, which would improve sustainability and ensure that people and planet are considered at every touch point.

Their approach will also support the next generation by co-creating design and manufacturing apprenticeships.

The Princess will meet young people who have benefited from the apprenticeship programme and hear more about the creative product development process between Standfast & Barracks and House of Hackney, including how inspiration becomes finished product.

She will then be given a tour of the printworks, taking in both the traditional and digital processes.

The development of digital printing has provided a more sustainable approach to fabric printing, with each metre of fabric produced using approximately 80 litres less water than the traditional processes.

During the tour, The Princess will meet young apprentices who Standfast & Barracks are training as part of their commitment to education and skills development.