Kate Middleton Is Determined "to Make Sure" George, Charlotte and Louis are "Better" Than Her at This Royal Skill

The Princess of Wales is starting them out young.

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte wearing navy outfits waving on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with their parents standing behind them
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Growing up as a member of the Royal Family means polishing up on etiquette and protocol, knowing when to curtsy—and to whom—and meeting a wide variety of people from around the world. But while Kate Middleton is skilled at everything from playing the piano to scuba diving, she admitted she's not the most talented at languages. In fact, the Princess of Wales revealed that it's her "aim" to ensure Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis don't fall into the same category.

When speaking with a fan during a 2018 event, Princess Kate said (via Hello!) that despite having studied abroad in Florence, her Italian was "so bad." She added, "I have to make sure my children are better than me, that's my aim."

Unlike many other members of the Royal Family, the Princess of Wales is not understood to be fluent in a second language, but knows some Italian and French. Prince William, however, reportedly knows six other languages: Welsh, French, Gaelic, Spanish, Swahili and German.

"Given the fact that George, Charlotte, and Louis will probably carry all out full-time royal duties in future and will meet people from all over the world, it's no wonder that the Princess of Wales wants her children to be confident linguists," said Hello!'s online royal correspondent, Danielle Stacey.

Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte

The Princess of Wales expressed her wish for George, Charlotte and Louis to learn foreign languages.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis holding hands with Princess Kate and Prince William and wearing school uniforms walking to school

The Wales children are learning new languages at Lambrook School.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The children are said to have already learned some Spanish before they started school because of their Spanish nanny, Maria Borrallo.

And at Lambrook School, George, Charlotte and Louis have the opportunity to learn French and Latin, along with a third language that follows in the footsteps of Corfu-born Prince Philip. The school offers Greek lessons for students in year seven and eight like Prince George, who will enter his final year at the Berkshire prep school in September.

Although it'll likely be quite some time before the public gets to see George, Charlotte or Louis use their budding language skills, their lessons will definitely come in handy when giving speeches and meeting dignitaries one day.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.