WHEN Dr Rowan Williams is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury next month, a Gwent couple will have every reason to feel a very special twinge of pride.

For Dr Williams will be wearing robes woven by husband-and-wife team Gilbert and Wendy Kilbride.

The Kilbrides run a silk weaving and vestment making business from their home near Abergavenny - and said the former Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth called in their services in September last year.

It was thought they would have to create a downgraded cope and mitre - the cloak and hat worn by the Archbishop - after a number of AMs objected to the Assembly paying for the garments as a gift.

But an anonymous donation of up to £10,000 will now pay for the hand-crafted wardrobe, which also includes:

the morse or clasp that holds the cloak, which will be designed in Tregaron, depicting Welsh and English symbols united in friendship and made of silver and red gold with a component of Welsh gold;

the rochet or white robe worn beneath the cloak, which will be made of fine Welsh linen and woven in Haverfordwest.

The robes being made by the Kilbrides will be handwoven, embroidered with gold wire-work and lined with Welsh flannel.

Mrs Kilbride said: "We started it in December and it's being woven at the moment. It's lovely to be chosen, especially as he's been our Bishop of Monmouth for a while and it's being handwoven in Wales especially for him.

"I made a cope and mitre for him some years ago for his role as Bishop of Monmouth, and we made a cope and mitre for the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, although it wasn't for his enthronement."

A spokesman said the Archbishop was honoured that individuals wanted to support him in his ministry in such a way and delighted to be taking to Canterbury a wardrobe that was handcrafted by the people of Wales.

The spokesman said that if the donor had not come forward the design of the vestments would have had to be revised to make them more within Dr Rowan Williams' budget. The donor had presented himself to Islwyn AM Brian Hancock in December.

The Plaid Cymru AM said: " I felt as strongly as my donor that we were missing an opportunity to be able to celebrate our skills in being able to manufacture something like this.

"Dr Rowan Williams is widely respected and loved in Wales as a man of the people and someone who has related successfully to all sections of society in Wales.

"My donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, wanted to make a private donation to promote the skills of the people of Wales."

The plan is for the robes to be completed before the enthronement on February 2 - but it is hoped they will be presented to Dr Williams a week before.