Prince George’s godfather, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, joined Princess Kate on Thursday as she visited Sudbury Silk Mills in Suffolk.
The meeting marked a rare public reunion between the Princess of Wales and her former private secretary.
Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk, served as the first private secretary to Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2013.
This was nearly twice as long as any of his successors.
Prince George’s godfather joins Princess Kate on rare public reunion
|GETTY
A former SAS major, he helped guide the trio as they took on full-time royal duties and was later asked by William and Kate to be godfather to their eldest son.
His son William was one of the pageboys at the couple’s wedding in 2011.
Before stepping down, Mr Lowther-Pinkerton continued one day a week to mentor younger household staff and prepare the couple for the birth of Prince George.
He was also a director of the Royal Foundation and of Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, roles he left after leaving the private secretary post.
He served as the first private secretary to Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry from 2005 to 2013
|REUTERS
Mr Lowther-Pinkerton previously served as an equerry to the Queen Mother and was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in the 2013 New Year’s Honours.
Kate’s visit to the 300-year-old Sudbury Silk Mills focused on the future of Britain’s textile industry.
She met the design team to see how archives are used to inspire new patterns, watched weaving looms in operation and observed final quality checks.
For the engagement, the Princess wore a grey Bella Freud suit woven with a subtle electric-blue Prince of Wales check, a nod to her husband, Prince William.
The Princess wore a grey Bella Freud suit woven with a subtle electric-blue Prince of Wales check
|REUTERS
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Mr Lowther-Pinkerton previously served as an equerry to the Queen Mother
|REUTERS
The textile sector is an area of long-standing interest for Kate, whose paternal ancestors owned the Leeds-based woollen manufacturer William Lupton & Co.
Earlier this year, she toured Corgi, a Welsh knitwear producer.
In addition, last autumn, the Princess of Wales visited mills in Leeds and Lancaster to learn more about the industry’s heritage and innovation.
Kate has made several recent visits to UK textile manufacturers to highlight the industry’s heritage and role in the economy.