The Princess of Wales returned “buzzing” from her trip to Italy promoting the early years development of children and has become a “pro” on the subject, her husband has said.
William discussed Kate’s first official foreign tour in more than three years during an appearance on Heart radio’s breakfast show presented by Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden.
He said his wife is “edging herself back” into doing more overseas visits following her successful cancer treatment, but cautioned royal trips take their toll, so they have to “make sure she’s OK and rested”.
There was also a personal tribute to Kate from her husband, who said: “She’s an amazing mum and an amazing wife and literally our family couldn’t cope without her, so she’s been absolutely stunning, really has.”
William appeared live on the breakfast show, broadcast from a cafe on the Isles of Scilly where the prince will later visit the Isles of Scilly Hospital to meet staff, patients and open a new facility which has increased medical capacity to the isles.
In a wide-ranging interview, the prince joked about doing the school run, his love of dance music and how he still follows his late grandmother the Queen’s rule for making scones – cream first then jam.
And he joked about receiving an invitation to the highly anticipated summer wedding of Taylor Swift and her American football partner Travis Kelce at first saying “no comment” and laughing.
William, who took his two eldest children to a Swift concert last year and introduced them to the singer backstage, said: “That feels like a showbiz excuse but it’s not. I’m hoping and I’m sure there might be an invitation around, but we’ll see.”
Asked if he is proud of Kate’s successful visit to Italy, William replied: “So proud, very, very proud. She’s been amazing.
“She’s been through so much in the last couple of years, particularly. She’d been looking forward to the Italian trip a lot, and so I’m really glad it went really well.”
Kate received a rapturous welcome from the people of the Italian city of Reggio Emilia where she learnt about an innovative approach to teaching young children pioneered in the city.
William added: “She wanted to go and do lots of research, she spends God knows how much time now looking through all the paperwork.
“She’s a proper pro on early years, and so most evenings I’m fighting to get past in the bedroom… all the paperwork that she’s got lined up ready to read.
“I’m so pleased it went well for her, and yeah I think she came back buzzing.”
An aide to the princess last week described the trip as a “huge moment” for Kate, who has experienced a cancer diagnosis and success treatment since she travelled to America more than three years ago.
William and Kate’s last major lengthy tour together was their controversial trip to the Caribbean in March 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, before they spent three days in Boston in December 2022 for the prince’s Earthshot Prize ceremony.
When the suggestion was made that Kate wants to do more overseas visits, William told the breakfast show: “Yes, I think so. It’s kind of, just sort of edging herself back into doing more and more of those trips.
“Away trips like that take a lot out of you because you’re on sort of permanent receive and send the whole time, and so we have to balance that, make sure she’s OK and rested, but yeah, she’s in good form.”
William joked with Theakston and Holden about Kate speaking Italian during her trip saying he did not realise she spoke the language and joked “she must have dusted that off a while ago”.
The prince began his appearance by confessing he was not a morning person and how at this time he would be doing the school run with Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, but revealed Prince George was boarding at Lambrook, the private school the three children all attend near Ascot in Berkshire.
Louis liked to take jam sandwiches in the car. “He’ll leave jam fingerprints throughout the car which is really helpful,” his father William added.
William helped pick the breakfast show’s playlist and his choices included Taylor Swift, a favourite artist of Charlotte and Louis, and her track Opalite, and Raye’s chart-topping single Where Is My Husband.
Prince Williams joins Heart Breakfast live from the Isles of Scilly @KensingtonRoyal @thisisheart https://t.co/kiyUc7YWm8 pic.twitter.com/XcfOlSM5b3
— On The Radio (@OnTheRadioUK) May 22, 2026
As the Duke of Cornwall, William was quizzed about the way he eats scones, as people in Cornwall traditionally have their scones with a layer of jam then cream but controversially he said he enjoyed them the Devon way – cream first then jam.
He replied: “I love that I’m the authority on the scones, I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely, she would have the cream on first.”
Holden made him a “builder’s” tea without sugar and she also presented the prince with cupcakes she made overnight to mark the Europa League final win of his team Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
William commented about the coverage of him celebrating the goals at the stadium by hugging friends and clenching his fists: “I try and remind myself that I am a football fan, I’m just there to enjoy myself, but then I see the following day and I realise ‘actually a lot of people are watching you – stop doing that'”.
The prince arrived on the Isles of Scilly on Thursday and said he had a “quick dip” during the evening with no wetsuit.
“It was fresh but it was ok,” he said, adding there was “screaming and heavy breathing”.
Towards the end of William’s appearance on the show that lasted more than 45 minutes, the presenters played one of his favourite songs, You Got The Love by The Source featuring Candi Staton.
The prince said: “I love dance songs, I like motivational ones. I like things that give you a real inspiration, because I feel inspired after I listen to certain music.”
