St. David's Day: Catherine shares first message entirely in Welsh as royals visit Powys
The Princess of Wales has delivered a video message entirely in Welsh for the first time as she and the Prince of Wales undertook a visit to Powys ahead of st. david's day. The visit and video, which touch on community projects and mothers' mental health, arrive in the run-up to national celebrations on 1 March.
Powys visit begins at The Hanging Gardens and Newtown art gallery
The royal couple first travelled to The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes, a community project focused on resilience and creativity, before going on to visit an art gallery in Newtown. They arrived to cheers from crowds who had gathered despite the wet weather, many waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils, the national flower of Wales. At one point the pair ordered hot drinks at the Llanidloes cafe and sat to chat with people making Welsh language festival signs.
Video recorded on Windsor estate and published by Kensington Palace
The short video was recorded earlier this week on the Windsor estate and published by Kensington Palace. In it, William opens: "To everyone in Wales, a very happy St David's Day, " standing alongside Kate. Kate then says: "Wales is very close to our hearts, and we look forward to every visit. " William also praises the country as "a beautiful country, with a rich history and wonderful people, " and Kate finishes the message: "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.
Catherine spotlights mothers' mental health with Mums Matter in Newtown
During a rainy Wednesday visit to mid Wales, Catherine spoke about her passion for mothers' mental health and met members of Mums Matter, a perinatal service for women experiencing mental health problems linked to early motherhood. Ella Hopkins, 25, who began volunteering with the service after fleeing domestic violence with her 10-month-old son Marcus, described Catherine as "absolutely incredible. " Hopkins said: "She got really invested, she was asking lots of questions, you could tell she thought it was an important thing to be focusing on. " Hopkins added: "She definitely said that it's something that she said felt passionate about, parents being able to be committed and devoted through their own stability. "
Community stops include a forge, nursery, market and performing arts space
Both the prince and princess wore daffodils on their lapels as they visited a forge and met nursery children aged three and four who were waiting with signs they had drawn. The couple greeted Ollie Jones, 21, and watched him make a hook before going to the centre's performing arts space to see schoolchildren perform Welsh songs. The pair later visited producers in the adjoining market, where William sampled a glass of cider, and went into a kitchen where traditional cawl and Welsh cakes were being made ahead of the celebrations.
Crowds, selfies and spontaneous returns to meet well-wishers
After what was due to be the end of their visit, William and Catherine stepped out of their vehicle after a short drive to meet cheering crowds that had gathered. The royal couple braved the wet weather for 25 minutes, chatting to well-wishers, posing for selfies and accepting bunches of flowers and pictures handed to them by children. William spotted a group of children holding up a scarf for Aston Villa and told them: "That's a great way to get my attention. " Catherine gave high-fives and hugs, and spoke to 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. "
