St. David's Day: Catherine shares first message entirely in Welsh as st. david's day visit to Powys spotlights mothers' mental health

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has for the first time delivered a video message entirely in Welsh as she and Prince William visited Powys ahead of st. david's day. The couple combined the recorded message with a wet-weather tour of mid Wales that underscored Catherine's focus on mothers' mental health and drew enthusiastic crowds waving daffodils.

Catherine's Welsh-only video and the couple's remarks

Catherine delivered a video message spoken entirely in Welsh to mark the occasion, a first for her. Prince William also spoke in Welsh in the same video, which was recorded earlier this week on the Windsor estate and released on the couple's official channels. In the clip William says, "To everyone in Wales, a very happy St David's Day, " standing alongside Kate. Kate tells viewers, "Wales is very close to our hearts, and we look forward to every visit. " William adds: "It is a beautiful country, with a rich history and wonderful people, " and Kate finishes: "Wishing you a day full of celebration with family and friends. " The Prince of Wales delivered his first message in Welsh on St David's Day last year.

Visit to Powys, The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes and Newtown

The royal couple first travelled to The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes, a community project focused on resilience and creativity, before visiting an art gallery in Newtown. They arrived at the first venue to cheers from crowds who had gathered despite the wet weather, with many waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils, the national flower of Wales. The pair ordered hot drinks at the Llanidloes cafe and sat down to talk to people making Welsh language festival signs.

Catherine raises mothers' mental health with Mums Matter and meets Ella Hopkins

In Newtown, Powys, Catherine met members of Mums Matter, a perinatal service for women dealing with mental health problems linked to early motherhood. She spoke about her passion for mothers' mental health during the visit to mid Wales on a rainy Wednesday this week. Ella Hopkins, 25, who started volunteering with the service after fleeing domestic violence with her 10-month-old son Marcus, described Catherine as "absolutely incredible. " Hopkins said the princess "got really invested, she was asking lots of questions, " and that Catherine made clear she felt passionate about "parents being able to be committed and devoted through their own stability. "

Public moments: daffodils, nursery children, cider and selfies

Throughout the visit the prince and princess took part in a wide range of community activities. Both were wearing daffodils on their lapels when they visited a forge and met nursery children aged three and four who were waiting with signs they had drawn. They greeted Ollie Jones, 21, and watched him make a hook, then went to the centre's performing arts space to see schoolchildren perform Welsh songs. William sampled a glass of cider from producers in the adjoining market before going into a kitchen where traditional cawl and Welsh cakes were being made in preparation for St David's Day. The royal couple later braved the wet weather for 25 minutes to speak to well-wishers, with Catherine giving high-fives and hugs and William posing for selfies. After briefly getting into their vehicle and being driven for a short period, they stepped out again to meet cheering crowds, including children who handed them bunches of flowers and pictures they'd drawn. William noticed a group of children holding up a scarf for Aston Villa and told them, "That's a great way to get my attention. " Catherine told members of the public outside about the children's performance at Llanidloes school, saying, "It was so lovely to meet the children singing inside - they were incredible. " While in the kitchen, Catherine described places like The Hanging Gardens as "a lifeline to so many people in the community. "

St. David's Day events and the story of the saint

Wales celebrates its patron saint every year on 1 March. Events including parades and concerts will be held in villages and towns across Wales to celebrate St David's Day on Sunday. Little is known about the saint: legend holds he was born on a clifftop in Pembrokeshire during a violent storm after angels foretold his birth to St Patrick 30 years prior. Some believe he lived for 100 years and died on 1 March 589, a date recognised as the Feast of St David.