Princess Kate hugs former aide Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton in Suffolk

The Princess of Wales was all smiles as she arrived at Sudbury Silk Mill on Thursday, warmly greeting Jamie Lowther Pinkerton, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk and her former top aide, with a heartfelt hug.

Lowther-Pinkerton, a former British Army officer with decades of service in royal households, served as private secretary to the then Cambridges and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2013.

Princess Kate styled her blonde hair in loose curls that framed her face perfectly. 

The outing also revealed her love of tweed this time in a sharp Bella Freud suit  just days after she wowed in a new Alessandra Rich dress for a WI branch visit in Sunningdale, Ascot.

Kate's outing marked the start of a busy day for the royal, who is also set to visit Marina Mill in Cuxton, Kent later which is a family run business renowned for hand-designed and screen printed furnishing fabrics.

A long time advocate for craftsmanship and heritage industries, she has often championed the creativity and cultural significance of British textiles. 

The passion runs deep in her paternal ancestors once owned William Lupton & Co, a respected woollen manufacturer and merchant based in Leeds.

Back in January, she toured Corgi in Ammanford, where she revealed she has “archived” all of her children’s clothing. 

The Princess praised well made garments for standing the test of time, noting how they “wore really well.”