St. David's Day: Catherine Delivers First-Ever Welsh-Only Message as William Joins Rainy Powys Visit
The Princess of Wales has recorded her first message delivered entirely in Welsh to mark St. David's Day, a milestone shared in a video posted on Sunday that highlights the royal couple's recent engagement in Wales. The video, recorded earlier this week on the Windsor estate and published by Kensington Palace, sees both Catherine and the Prince of Wales address the nation in Welsh ahead of St. David's Day.
St. David's Day message and Welsh-language milestone
Catherine's Welsh-language message is the first she has delivered entirely in Welsh. In the video, the Princess says Wales is very close to their hearts. Standing alongside her, the Prince of Wales also speaks in Welsh, praising Wales as a beautiful country with a rich history and wonderful people. The Prince delivered his first message in Welsh on St. David's Day last year.
Powys visit: community projects, daffodils and wet weather
Earlier this week the couple visited Powys, travelling first to The Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes, a community project described as focused on resilience and creativity, before visiting an art gallery in Newtown. They arrived to cheering crowds despite wet weather, with many people waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils, the national flower of Wales.
- The royal couple ordered hot drinks at the Llanidloes cafe and chatted with people making Welsh-language festival signs.
- They visited a forge and met nursery children aged three and four who were waiting with signs they had drawn.
- At a performing arts space they watched schoolchildren perform Welsh songs; in an adjoining market area they met producers and saw traditional cawl and Welsh cakes being made in a kitchen.
Catherine stresses importance of mothers' mental health
While in mid Wales the Princess spoke about her passion for mothers' mental health. In Newtown she met members of Mums Matter, a perinatal service for women experiencing mental health problems linked to early motherhood. The interaction formed part of the visit that preceded the video message for St. David's Day.
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 and said the Princess seemed invested and asked many questions. Hopkins said Catherine expressed that parents being able to be committed and devoted through their own stability felt important to her.
Public interactions, selfies and local reactions
The couple spent around 25 minutes in heavy rain speaking to well-wishers, with Catherine giving high-fives and hugs and William posing for selfies. After initially leaving in a vehicle they stepped out again to meet cheering crowds, including children who handed them bunches of flowers and pictures. William spotted children holding up an Aston Villa scarf, a club he has supported since his school days.
