As we discussed yesterday, the Princess of Wales stopped by a textile factory in Leeds and Lancaster. She wore a dated Burberry suit with ten buttons, and she paired the look with chunky gold jewelry. Style-wise, this was a huge miss. But it’s considered a success because Kate did something and she didn’t make an ass out of herself. She did grab some merino wool and declare “I love the feel and smell of it!” Her office (the bewigletted gopher) also arranged for this People Magazine exclusive:

Fabric from the mill was used in the striking Colonel of the Irish Guards uniform that Prince William wore for his April 2011 wedding to Kate at Westminster Abbey, and the Princess of Wales was shown a photo from the big day while viewing a company timeline during a private reception.

“She is featured with her husband, and as she walked around, she clearly recognized it and was blown away,” Amanda McLaren, managing director, exclusively tells PEOPLE.

“She was so friendly and really engaged in our people and really interested in meeting as many people as she could get to. We took a slight detour — she was so interested,” McLaren added of the Princess of Wales’ enthusiasm.

Though Kate was on the move at AW Hainsworth, operational excellence director Zena Al Mausawe tells PEOPLE that she seemed especially excited by the production of the scarlet fabric.

“She loved it. It was great that she saw the scarlet tunic, which is the iconic red fabric that everyone associates with Buckingham Palace and the guards. It was great how she was trying to feel everything and get the tactile experience as well,” Al Mausawe says. “She loved the smell of the wool and the texture of it and the handle of it.”

[From People]

The event was literally Kate standing in a textile mill, touching fabric and declaring herself keen. But sure, I’m glad she’s doing something, I’m glad she’s getting out of the house. Speaking of, the royal commentators keep pressing Kensington Palace about how Kate needs to go to Singapore. They know it’s not up to Kate, so they’re basically trying to convince William and his staff:

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams hailed the Prince and Princess of Wales as the “future of the monarchy.” He told Express.co.uk: “William and Catherine and their children are the future of the monarchy. Their joint and solo events are always popular and when they champion a cause it invariably gives it a boost. Whilst William took a solo trip to New York, Catherine visited the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton where she has been appointed Commodore in Chief of Fleet Air Arm, and HMP High Down in Surrey, which was linked to her work with the Forward Trust and ahead of Addiction Awareness Week. She also attended a Rugby World Cup match in Marseille.”

“Her body language looked confident. Her new 1970s ‘Farrah Fawcett’ hairstyle looked gorgeous, she had poise and hopefully she and William will be maximising their popularity with more trips abroad shortly.”

[From The Daily Express]

“Hopefully she and William will be maximising their popularity with more trips abroad shortly,” hint hint, Peggington. None of your media keepers want you to fly solo to Singapore. Anyway, imagine praising a 41-year-old woman for her confident body language and Farrah Fawcett wig. My God.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.