Princess Kate turned a routine royal engagement into a moment of birthday shopping success during a solo trip to Wales on Jan. 30. During an unannounced visit to Corgi, the ultra-luxe Welsh knitwear brand, Kate found herself on the receiving end of an unexpected birthday assist for mom Carole Middleton, who turned 70 the following day.
The surprise moment came courtesy of 12-year-old Cari, whose family runs the prestigious textile company. The pre-teen presented Kate with a cream cashmere cardigan to thank her for her visit, but also presented the royal with a navy cashmere wrap specially chosen for birthday girl Carole.
Per Hello! the Princess of Wales exclaimed, "That's so sweet of you, thank you. I wasn't expecting it."
During her visit, Kate championed British craftsmanship, a cause close to her heart over the years. She toured the factory floor, chatted with the design team and even tried her hand out at making socks and sweaters. It turns out textile manufacturing runs in the royal's own family history—as Kensington Palace pointed out, her paternal ancestors owned a wool manufacturer based in Leeds, England.
Along with having a rather appropriate name, Corgi also possesses some serious royal credentials. The brand has held a warrant from The King (the then-Prince of Wales) since 1989 and the honor was recently renewed when King Charles and Queen Camilla gave out new warrants in late 2024.
Along with Kate's new sweater and Carole's cashmere wrap, another member of the family also owns a Corgi design. The King once gifted a personalized baby blue sweater for a young Prince George, who wore it in a 2014 family portrait with his parents and their beloved dog Lupo, who died in 2020.
As for Carole's birthday, Kate's brother, James Middleton, shared a heartwarming baby photo on Instagram, complete with the simple but touching caption: "Happy 70th Birthday to my darling Mother. My Hero❤️."
