“She must have dusted that off from a while ago,” the Prince of Wales joked about his wife’s surprise move.

Prince William in Tobermory, Scotland on April 29, 2025; Kate Middleton in Reggio Emilia, Italy on May 13, 2026.Credit : Chris Jackson/Getty; Samir Hussein/WireImage

Kate Middleton’s foreign language skills even caught Prince William off guard.

The Prince of Wales, 43, made the revelation during a rare, live media appearance on the British radio show Heart Breakfast on May 22, filmed during his two-day trip to the Duchy of Cornwall land holdings.

Prince William shared there that his wife “came back buzzing” from her trip to Italy the previous week for her early childhood work, a visit significant as her first overseas work trip since her cancer diagnosis in 2024.

“I had no idea she spoke Italian, either,” said show cohost Amanda Holden, commenting on how the Princess of Wales spoke some Italian in Reggio Emilia.

“I didn’t actually,” Prince William replied, which made Holden and cohost Jamie Theakston laugh.

“She must have dusted that off from a while ago,” he added.

The Princess of Wales, 44, flexed her language skills and introduced herself to children as Catarina, the Italian form of her first name, Catherine, during her two-day stay in Reggio Emilia this month.

“I speak a bit of Italian. What is your name? I am Catarina,” she told the youngsters who came out to see her at the city’s town hall, chatting with them in Italian and learning new vocabulary.

Princess Kate may have first immersed herself in the language while studying abroad in Florence in the summer of 2000. She studied Italian and the history of art during a three-month course, Italy Magazine reported, during one stop of her gap year before starting college in Scotland, where she met William in 2001.

Kate Middleton is welcomed by children as she arrives at Reggio Emilia town hall during a two-day visit in Italy, on May 13, 2026.Marco BERTORELLO / POOL / AFP via Getty

Princess Kate returned to Italy for a fact-finding mission focused on furthering her early childhood work as her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood expands internationally, and William praised his wife for the foray following her recovery.

“So proud. Very, very proud. She’s been amazing. She’s been through so much in the last couple of years, particularly, and she’d been looking forward to the Italian trip a lot, so I’m really glad it went really well,” he said on the Heart Breakfast episode filmed in the Isles of Scilly.

The heir to the throne described his spouse as a “proper pro on early years” — one who brings her paperwork to bed! — and the heart of their family.

“She’s an amazing mum, an amazing wife, and, literally, our family couldn’t cope without her, so, she’s been absolutely stunning, brilliant,” Prince William emotionally said when asked about seeing Princess Kate fulfilled by the Italy trip.

Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Prince Louis and Prince William attend the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 5, 2026 in Windsor, England.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8 and the royal family was rocked when Princess Kate announced in March 2024 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer. The royal reduced her duties to focus on her health and announced that she was in remission in January 2025.

PEOPLE detailed Princess Kate’s landmark Italy visit in an exclusive cover story, which Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson said clearly signaled “she is back in business.”

Kate Middleton visits the “Salvador Allende” Scuola dell’infanzia, during the second day of her visit to Reggio Emilia on May 14, 2026 in Reggio Emilia, Italy.Jordan Pettitt – Pool/Getty

“There’s no denying that everyone concerned has been missing the princess’s star quality. She is a huge draw wherever she goes,” says Russell Myers, author of William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story.

“Catherine is undoubtedly a central force in the monarchy’s popularity and ability to achieve its goals and move forward. There is no better time for her to return.”

SOURCE: https://people.com/prince-william-reveals-what-kate-middleton-did-italy-surprised-him-11983702