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IN PICTURES: Catherine, Princess of Wales visits Lancaster

Photo credit: Josh Brandwood

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, paid a Royal visit to a fabric printing company in Lancaster. 

She was given a tour of fabric printing company Standfast and Barracks on Caton Road, learning about the company’s history, which dates back almost 100 years.

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


The visit by the Princess of Wales was part of a wider day where Her Royal Highness 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.

Her Royal Highness was 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 met young apprentices who Standfast & Barracks are training as part of their commitment to education and skills development.



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, Her Royal Highness learned about the history of the company and see artefacts from the company’s archive. She also met the founders of House of Hackney (a British interiors brand), Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle. 

Champions of print and craftsmanship, House of 3 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.

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