Kate Middleton's dressmaker recalls the time she tripped over Prince Philip

Prince Philip and Kate Middleton
(Image credit: Getty)

Kate Middleton's dressmaker has revealed the time she tripped over Prince Philip as a child.

Kate Middleton's dressmaker has revealed she once tripped over Prince Philip while on a beach in Barbados.

Chloe, who was just aged six at the time, ran into the Duke decades earlier as she was chasing pigs on a beach whilst holidaying in the Caribbean with her family.

The dressmaker who did the embroidery work on both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's iconic wedding (opens in new tab) dresses told Insider about her first encounter with the royal.

"We were chasing piglets, I can't remember why, and I fell and he picked me up, dusted me off, put me on my feet, and said, 'Pigs went that way,'" Chloe recalled. "Being only a child, I hadn't a clue who he was," she added.

Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip visit to Queen's College to officiate at the stone laying ceremony for the school's new building. Barbados, Caribbean. 1989

(Image credit: Alamy)

Chloe explained how Prince Philip was on the Caribbean island to visit her uncle Richard, who ran the Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme in Barbados.

The initiative was created in 1956 by the Duke and was aimed at challenging "young people in Great Britain and other parts of the Commonwealth to attain standards of achievement and endeavor in a wide variety of active interests," according to the royal family's Instagram page.

Prince Philip died aged 99 (opens in new tab), on Friday 9th April, Buckingham Palace confirmed. And as tributes pour in from politicians, the public, and those who knew him well, it’s been pointed out that the Queen will complete her reign (opens in new tab) in the same sad way as great grandmother Queen Victoria after Philip’s funeral (opens in new tab).

Speaking of the Duke, Chloe added, "He found his own path, and created a role of his own."

Kate Middleton wedding dress, Prince Philip

(Image credit: Getty)

And some years after that chance encounter, Chloe happened to cross royal paths again when she was involved in the making of the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress and even met the 'normal' royal during dress fittings. Chloe helped appliqué all the lace to Kate's gown and shoes, and also worked on her blue silk and white lace garter. She also helped with the embroidery on Meghan's 16-foot veil.

Chloe revealed, "She's so incredibly normal. Where I live in Bristol isn't far from Prince Charles' estate, and he has a reputation for being uppity. But Kate is so normal."

Selina Maycock
Senior Entertainment Writer

Selina is a Senior Entertainment Writer with more than 15 years of experience in newspapers and magazines. She currently looks after all things Entertainment for Goodto.com, Woman&Home, and My Imperfect Life. Before joining Future Publishing, Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism. She is fully NCTJ and NCE qualified and has 100wpm shorthand. When she's not interviewing celebrities you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories.