Prince William Reveals Princess Kate Has Been Hiding A Secret Talent “From A While Ago”

"She must have dusted that off from a while ago."

Princess Kate waving in a blue suit
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate is a woman of many talents, from photography to baking to piano, and it seems there is no limit to the things she is good at. Every time she steps onto a sports field or reveals another “grandma hobby,” social media is aflutter with comments on her diverse set of skills. On her recent, hugely successful visit to Reggio Emilia, Princess Kate revealed one more hidden talent that even surprised her husband, Prince William.

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales waves to the crowd as she is welcomed by the mayor of Reggio Emilia, Marco Massari (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / POOL / AFP)

Princess Kate made her first official trip to Italy.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks to children as she arrives at the city hall on the first day of her visit to Reggio Emilia on May 13, 2026 (Photo by Robino Salvatore/GC Images)

The princess was heard speaking Italian with school children.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

On UK-based radio show Heart Radio, Prince William said that his wife, Princess Kate, “came back buzzing” from the trip, which focused on her work with the Royal Foundation for Early Childhood. The Princess of Wales made her first official visit to Italy to visit the country’s early educational epicenter, Reggio Emilia, home of the famed Reggio Emilia method of early childhood education. While meeting with children at Reggio Emilia’s city center, Princess Kate was overheard saying, “come ti chiami? Mi chiamo Catarina,” which translates to “what’s your name? My name is Catherine.”

"I had no idea she spoke Italian, either," Heart Radio cohost Amanda Holden said to Prince William. "I didn't actually," Prince William replied, much to the amusement of the radio show panel. "She must have dusted that off from a while ago," the Prince of Wales said.

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Prince William was likely referring to Princess Kate’s gap year, where she spent three months in Florence in 2000. The Princess of Wales studied Italian and the history of art at the British Institute in Florence before starting at University of St. Andrews in 2001.

Princess Kate sitting with children outside in Italy

The princess's visit focused on early childhood.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate posing with teachers and kids in Italy

Princess Kate visited Reggio Emilia to learn about their teaching methods.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate has referred fondly to her time spent in Italy in the past. “She's been through so much in the last couple of years, particularly, and she'd been looking forward to the Italian trip a lot, so I'm really glad it went really well," Prince William said on the radio show, after saying he was “so proud. Very, very proud. She's been amazing.”

Christine Ross
Writer

Christine Ross is a freelancer writer, royal expert, broadcaster and podcaster. She's worked with news outlets including the BBC, Glamour, Talk TV, ET, PBS, CNN and 20/20 to cover the foremost royal events of the last decade, from Prince George’s birth to the coronation of King Charles III.

She previously served as co-host of Royally Us, a weekly royal podcast by Us Weekly. As a freelance writer and royal commentator she provides expert commentary, historical context and fashion analysis about royal families worldwide, with an emphasis on the British Royal Family.