Prince William faces fresh setback as Welsh professor exposes major flaw
A Cardiff University language professor has criticised Prince William’s Welsh speaking skills during his recent St David’s Day address.
Dr Dylan Foster Evans, Head of the School of Welsh, said he expected the Prince of Wales to do more than just “read for a few seconds from an autocue”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Dr Evans described the royal’s Welsh as “halting”.
He suggested that William should be capable of more substantial Welsh language use, given his role as Prince of Wales.
The comments came after William released a pre-recorded social media video message to mark St David’s Day on March 1.
In his St David’s Day message, Prince William celebrated Welsh culture and heritage.
The prince said in Welsh: “Hello. Today, on St David’s Day, we come together to celebrate Wales – its history, its culture, and its incredible people.”
He continued: “From its breathtaking landscapes to its language, Wales continues to inspire.”
William concluded his Welsh address with: “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.”
The pre-recorded video was shared on social media to mark the day Wales’s patron saint is honoured.
Many viewers were reportedly “impressed and pleased” to hear the prince speaking Welsh.
Dr Evans was direct in his criticism of William’s Welsh language abilities.
“His pronunciation is a little faulty,” the professor commented.
He noted that while the prince “gets most things right,” more practice would “do him a great deal of good.”
Dr Evans pointed out that William has had ample time to prepare for his role.
“It’s been known [for a long time] that he will be the Prince of Wales,” he said.
The professor added: “People say that he should be able to do a bit more than read for a few seconds from an autocue since Welsh does have an official status in Wales since 2011. Maybe we should expect quite a bit more.”
Despite his criticism, Dr Evans acknowledged that Prince William had made a genuine effort with the language.
“He was quite understandable and clear, but he has a little way to go, I think,” the professor conceded. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.”
Dr Evans emphasised that mastering Welsh requires practical application, saying: “You need to use the language in a real-world situation with real people to really get to grips with it.”
The professor also offered context for the challenge facing the prince: “Most people in Wales don’t speak Welsh and it’s not easy to broadcast in your second language.”