The Countess of Wessex was given a behind-the-scenes look into the wool manufacturing process when she visited Bradford.

She was shown around four wool and textile companies, as well as officially opening the new offices of the British Wool Marketing Board.

The Countess, born Sophie Rhys-Jones, was in the district to perform her first engagement in support of the Campaign for Wool, a five-year international programme spearheaded by the Prince Of Wales to boost demand for the natural fibre.

Her visit began with officially opening BWMB’s new site in Canal Road, Bradford. She was given a tour of the organisation’s new depot where fleeces are graded into type and quality ready for auction.

BWMB chief executive Ian Hartley said the group had moved its depot and office staff from City Road, Bradford, and the Euroway Trading Estate, respectively, to the new site, at an overall cost of about £6 million.

He said he was pleased the Countess had opened the site as part of her visit to the district in her role to support the campaign.

Mr Hartley said: “She’s seeing the whole process, from the raw wool to the manufactured carpets, all in one day. It’s good that her first visit with her role in the campaign is to Bradford, and of course we had Prince Charles in Bradford 18 months ago.

“She was very interested throughout the whole visit.

“The whole point of today is to give her a knowledge about the industry going forward so she will take part in other Campaign for Wool events.”

The Countess went on to visit Haworth Scouring at Cashmere Works, in Birksland Street, Bradford, the largest commission wool scouring company of its kind, to open its new showroom, before seeing work at textile manufacturer Bulmer and Lumb Group in Buttershaw , and Westex Carpets Limited in Cleckheaton .

Bulmer and Lumb chairman Bill Waterhouse said: “I am very pleased that the Royal Family are showing this interest in wool.

“The demand for wool has been pretty good, but wool is usually in demand in recessionary times – people tend to look for things which are going to last longer.”

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith , was on hand to welcome the Countess to the city.

He told the Telegraph & Argus: “It’s right that Bradford is at the hub of the worldwide campaign to make wool an environmentally friendly and popular fibre, which it clearly is.

“It is a fantastic day for Bradford – we are very privileged to be here. There’s a lot of exciting things coming on throughout the year for the wool campaign and certainly as Lord Mayor I will be looking to support any of the events they choose to invite us to.”

Haworth Scouring Company owner Martin Curtis said: “We had visitors from all sectors of the wool textile industry, from wool producer farmers, spinners, manufacturers of some of the finest cloth in the world, hand-knitting demonstration, a work of art in wool by Angela Wright, retailers and distributors.

“It was a wonderful occasion and one that once again reinforces the support the wool textile industry around the world is getting from members of the Royal Family via The Prince of Wales’s Campaign for Wool.”