Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Freaky, Furry Flip-Flops
    • October Books
    • 2026 Beauty Awards
    • Janine Nabers
    • Purple Nails
    • ‘Sense and Sensibility’
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    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."

    Christine Ross's avatar
    By Christine Ross
    Published 27 May 2026 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Princess Kate waving in a blue suit
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    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.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    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.”

    You may like
    • Princess Kate wearing a green cap holding an umbrella and grimacing Princess Kate Proves She Can't Quit This Royal Habit
    • Princess Kate gasping with a shinty player standing behind her Princess Kate Thought She Might "Take Someone's Teeth Out" During New Challenge
    • Princess Kate community lunch Princess Kate Reveals Her Go-To Snack And How She Gets "The Children Involved" With Chores At Home
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Christine Ross
    Christine Ross
    Social Links Navigation
    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.

    Read more
    Princess Kate wearing a green cap holding an umbrella and grimacing
    Royals Princess Kate Proves She Can't Quit This Royal Habit
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate gasping with a shinty player standing behind her
    Royals Princess Kate Thought She Might "Take Someone's Teeth Out" During New Challenge
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Princess Kate and Prince William smiling and wearing flat caps
    Royals Princess Kate Reveals Her Scotland Wish List Inspired By Another Royal
    By Kristin Contino
    Queen Elizabeth wears a turquoise suit and matching hat while Princess Kate points at the sky and wears a blue coat dress
    Royals Princess Kate Gained One Skill From Queen Elizabeth
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Queen Letizia wearing a black dress and clapping
    Royals Queen Letizia Pairs an Edgy Cut-Out Gown with a Bracelet From Her Pre-Royal Days
    Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson wearing black dresses on a red carpet
    Royals Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson are No Longer a "Tripod"
     
     
    Prince Harry meeting fans with his arm around Meghan
    Royals Harry and Meghan's Latest Event Feels "At Odds" With Security Fears, Says Editor
    Princess Kate wearing a fair isle sweater and smiling
    Royals Princess Kate Made a Secret Appearance in an Editor-Approved Me+Em Sweater
     
     
    Latest in News
    Dakota Johnson wore an oversized graphic tee with brown corduroy jeans and a Valentino bag
    Celebrity Style Corduroy Bottoms Are Back—and Already Replacing Dakota Johnson's Go-To Jeans
    Queen Letizia wearing a black dress and clapping
    Royals Queen Letizia Pairs an Edgy Cut-Out Gown with a Bracelet From Her Pre-Royal Days
     
     
    Keri Russell as Kate Wyler and Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler in 'The Diplomat' season 4.
    TV shows 'The Diplomat' Season 4 Ends With Several Major Twists—Here's Your Breakdown
    Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson wearing black dresses on a red carpet
    Royals Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson are No Longer a "Tripod"
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.