Princess Kate Leaves Prince William Looking ”Shy” After Giving Him a Sweet Compliment

The Princess of Wales praised one of her husband's newfound skills during a trip to Wales.

Prince William and Princess Kate sitting at a table with a woman at a cafe
(Image credit: Getty Images)

They might be approaching their 15th wedding anniversary, but Prince William and Princess Kate’s relationship seems to be stronger than ever. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been practicing their Welsh lately, showing off their skills in a video for St. David’s Day on March 1. And during a trip to Wales on February 26, Kate sung the praises of her “smart” husband.

William and Kate headed to Wales ahead of its national holiday last week, taking part in a language learning group at a café during one part of the day. “So you're going to test us on our Welsh!" Princess Kate joked to the group (via Hello!). After one woman said Prince William was “really, really good,” the Princess of Wales turned to her husband and noted, “Yes, I know, he’s very smart.”

According to the outlet, William smiled and “looked shy in response” before discussing his efforts at learning Welsh with the group. William, who became the Prince of Wales after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, admitted he’d never had formal language lessons and instead uses the popular language app Duolingo.

Prince William and Princess Kate sitting at a table with people at a cafe

The couple chatted with people taking part in a language group on February 26.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William standing next to Princess Kate, wearing a red coat, and waving

Prince William and Princess Kate are pictured waving to fans in Wales.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince William putting his arm on Princess Kate's back

The Prince and Princess of Wales are pictured on February 26.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“I use Duolingo a lot, that helps to do that side of things,” he told the group. “I do Swahili on it as well. But my owl is looking very sad at the moment. Not done it for a while.”

Per the Telegraph, it’s understood that Princess Kate has also used the language learning app. The couple’s St. David’s Day video is the first time Kate has spoken Welsh in an official setting, although she sung the country’s national anthem in Welsh during her first-ever royal engagement in 2011.

In addition to their St. David’s Day greeting, the Prince of Wales also spoke Welsh in a video shared on X for the 25th anniversary of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity on March 1. Prince William used the Welsh word for congratulations, “Llongyfarchiadau,” to kick off the message, ending it with “Diolch yn fawr,” or “thank you very much.”

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.