The Duchess of Cambridge wowed fans with her language skills on Wednesday, chatting to one fan in Italian during her royal walkabout in Leicester. In a video posted on social media, she is seen stopping to say "ciao" to one excited royal-watcher - adding that her Italian was "so bad", and saying: "I have to make sure my children are better than me, that's my aim." Don't put yourself down, Kate – we're mighty impressed! The Duchess spent a few months in Florence during her gap year in 2000, studying Italian and history of art at the British Institute of Florence.
Duchess Kate is keen for her children to learn Italian
Kate is clearly passionate about languages, and has spoken before about her children's skills, despite their young ages. In 2017, she revealed that Prince George could count to ten in Spanish – learning from his Spanish nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. During an engagement at a farm in Gloucestershire, she spoke with schoolchildren about her own family, telling one young girl about George and Charlotte's lessons. "She said she is trying to teach Charlotte Spanish and said her son George can count up to ten in Spanish already," nine-year-old Sayanna later told reporters.
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Little Charlotte is apparently improving at the language too, since in January it was revealed that she too knows a few words in Spanish thanks to her Palencia-born nanny. A source revealed that Prince William and Kate's daughter can speak a bit of the foreign language, and is "very sweet and very confident – she's always chatting away". The insider added that Charlotte is "so polite, but also fun and energetic" and has "beautiful manners". Aw! It sounds like George, Charlotte and Louis will have to add Italian to their list, too, if their mother's ambitions are anything to go by.
Kate and William made the poignant visit to the home of Leicester City to pay their respects to the five people who died in a helicopter crash in October. The royal couple knew the club's chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabh, who was among the victims, and wanted to visit the city to recognise the compassion shown by the people of Leicester following the tragic accident. The royal couple walked around the tribute site near the stadium, before meeting players and members of the club's management team.
