Prince William’s hard work pays off when he surprises with an unexpected message that attracts attention
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, delivered a heartfelt St David’s Day message entirely in Welsh, celebrating the nation’s heritage and people in a moving tribute to the United Kingdom nation.
King Charles III and Prince William have both made more active efforts to embrace Wales, its language and culture, to pay respect to the nation behind their titles (former in the case of Charles), potentially to offset growing independence sentiments.
So on March 1, the 40-year-old appeared speaking in their language whilst wearing a daffodil on his lapel, which is the national flower of Wales and is traditionally worn on St David’s Day; honoring the patron saint of Wales, canonized in the 12th century.
“Hello. Today, on St David’s Day, we come together to celebrate Wales,” William said in a video posted to Instagram. “Its history, its culture, and its incredible people.
“From its breathtaking landscapes to its language, Wales continues to inspire. Today, we will celebrate everything that is magical about Wales. To the people of Wales and everybody around the world, Happy St David’s Day.”
Prince William’s efforts to learn Welsh
Since being named Prince of Wales in September 2022 following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, William has actively sought to deepen his connection to Welsh traditions.
He has publicly shared his efforts to learn the Welsh language, revealing in 2024 that he was using the language-learning app Duolingo to aid his studies.
During a visit to Llanelli for a Welsh-language youth festival, he noted that he was working on learning Welsh “phonetically,” emphasizing his dedication to better engaging with the people of Wales in their native tongue.
Welsh sounds completely different to English because they have different origins. Welsh is a Celtic language and was spoken by the indigenous British population, whilst English is a Germanic language introduced through conquest and later influenced by Norse and French.
