Catherine, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales waves to well wishers as they arrive for their visit to the Oriel Davies on February 26, 2026 in Newtown, Wales. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited communities in Powys, Wales today ahead of St David’s Day© Getty Images
William and Kate on a visit to Wales last week
However, the former police officer admitted that though the couple’s attempt was “reasonable in parts”, the “main pronunciation was not quite there”.
He told HELLO!: “I’m full of admiration. I think the majority of the Welsh nation would be happy that they are attempting to speak Welsh.
“For English people who are learning and trying to speak Welsh, I think it was great. Like the curate’s egg, it was reasonable in parts, but the main pronunciation was not quite there. But they tried and that’s super.” “Practice makes perfect,” he added.
Catherine, Princess of Waleswaving in burgundy dress and coat© Getty Images
Catherine, Princess of Wales visits Hafan yr Afon, a culture, community and heritage hub on February 26, 2026 in Newtown, Wales.
Last year, William delivered his St David’s Day message completely in Welsh for the first time, marking a royal first. At the time, it was understood he was not taking full-time Welsh lessons, but had been learning conversational Welsh.
The couple’s growing confidence with the Welsh language marks an exciting transition, and fans can expect to see the Prince and Princess of Wales continue to practice their language skills over the coming months.
A royal away day to Wales
The message followed the couple’s shared trip to Wales last week. They were seen in Llanidloes and Newtown, the pair all smiles as they braved the rain to greet well-wishers, having visited Hafan Yr Afon, a hub for culture, community, and heritage, and the Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes.
The Princess was also seen speaking with Creative Producer Kate Morgan-Clare, while visiting a project funded by the Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award, focused on supporting the well-being of children and young people in the local area at Oriel Davies, a public contemporary art gallery in Newton.
