Henry Hurt, the meticulous master knitter whose luxurious shawls swaddled newborn royals, has died aged 87.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana hold newborn Prince William wearing one of Hurt’s shawls

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Henry Hurt, a troubled knitter, has died aged 87. He was best known as managing director of the family business GH Hurt & Son, a Nottingham-based company that produced elegant crocheted lace shawls for some of Britain’s wealthiest people. – famous people – swaddle some of the last royal babies born.

His painstaking craftsmanship caught the attention of Her late Majesty the Queen. In accordance with Daily Telegraphthen-Princess Elizabeth took notice of the company shortly after the birth of Prince Charles in 1948. “My father told me that we put two dozen of our B1 shawls in Harrods and the Queen bought them all,” Hurt recalls.

Prince William and Kate Middleton carry Prince George in a GH Hurt & Son blanket

LEON NEAL/Getty Images

It was wearing a Hurt shawl that young Prince William was first introduced to the world in the arms of his mother, Princess Diana. The future Prince of Wales clearly enjoyed this level of comfort as his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will all be photographed wearing Hurt shawls in the arms of the current Princess of Wales when the newborns were unveiled to the public for the first time. His first-class services must have been etched in the Royal Family’s memory since he was awarded an MBE in 2009.

Not just royalty, Hurt’s beautiful soft blankets have even made their way to Hollywood. Legendary beauty actress Julie Christie wore it after enduring the Russian winter. Doctor Zhivago

. Other clients who proudly presented their newborns in soft Hurt shawls included Kate Winslet, former tennis player Annabelle Croft and Jamie Oliver.