William speaks Welsh to mark St David's Day

The Prince of Wales has used his first message delivered in Welsh to wish Wales a "Happy St David's Day".

Prince William pre-recorded a social media video to mark 1 March, the day Wales's patron saint is honoured and to "celebrate Wales – its history, culture and incredible people".

His words in Welsh follow a trip to Wales with his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Wednesday, when the couple visited Pontypridd.

While he is not having formal lessons, it is understood William has been learning some conversational Welsh, though is it unclear who is teaching him the language, or if he is attending classes.

In his message, the prince said: "Hello. Today, on St David's Day, we come together to celebrate Wales – 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 has been known to greet people with a few words of Welsh when in the country, but has not spoken fully in public before.

King Charles had formal lessons in the Welsh language, studying from April to June 1969 at Aberystwyth University, ahead of his investiture as the Prince of Wales in July that year at Caernarfon Castle.

The King's tutor was Welsh nationalist Tedi Millward, but despite their apparent differences the two men became firm friends.

William has not had an investiture since his father announced he had created his eldest son and heir as Prince of Wales during his first televised address as monarch, the day after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.