The Prince of Wales said Princess Charlotte is following in her mother's footsteps by learning the piano and described music as a "crucial" skill during a visit to a youth organisation in Lambeth, South London.
Prince William visited Spiral Skills, a charity that works with 14- to 25-year-olds at risk of exclusion or homelessness, to see its new hub at The Oasis Village in Tulse Hill. The organisation received funding from the prince's homelessness initiative, Homewards, to relocate to the space and expand its work.
Speaking to young musicians taking part in a workshop, William said he ensured his three children were learning instruments. He told the group that Prince George, 12, plays guitar; Princess Charlotte, 10, plays piano; and Prince Louis, seven, plays drums. "I make sure my children learn music because I love music and it's crucial, really important," he said. He praised the group's practising and rhythm, saying, "It's brilliant you guys have clearly done a lot of practising, well done."
When a 16-year-old asked if he wanted to play the drums, William laughed and declined, saying, "I'm definitely not a drummer. I'm happy to see you do it, if my youngest was here, he'd have a go, because he's practising at the moment, but I'd love to hear you do it. But thank you for asking." Symphony Studios founder Seth Pinnock, who was at the event, said William had admitted he had tried various instruments in his youth but had not learned to read music and that his children were now studying keys and other instruments.
Spiral Skills, founded in 2015, works with local schools and youth services to provide early intervention, employability support and pathways into training and employment for young people. During the visit, William met community changemakers who had been helped by the charity and are now trained youth workers, and he attended a workshop with Young Creators UK, a creative agency run and owned by underrepresented young people that receives referrals from Spiral Skills.
The prince's comments about his children's musical pursuits echo public moments showing the Princess of Wales's own musical interests. Kate, the Princess of Wales, made a surprise piano appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in 2023 and performed a duet at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve in 2021. She studied flute and singing in school and was a member of chamber and senior flute ensembles, according to accounts of her early musical training.
William has previously spoken about Prince Louis's affinity for the drums. At the Tusk Conservation Awards in November, he joked that he had spent "his entire life" with "his fingers in his ears" after the youngest Wales child took up drumming. Observers have noted Louis's energetic public moments, including climbing a tree in a video shared during Kate's cancer-recovery updates and making animated expressions at public events.
The Lambeth visit formed part of William's public duties in London this week. His brother, Prince Harry, was visiting patronages in Nottingham during a rare four-day visit to the U.K. Harry attended the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham on the same day. The two princes did not meet during their separate engagements.
Harry has been in the U.K. in recent months for legal proceedings related to his security arrangements. He lost a Court of Appeal challenge in May after contesting a Home Office decision on the degree of protection he should receive when in Britain. In interviews and public remarks since, Harry has expressed a desire for family reconciliation while also outlining long-running disputes with other members of the royal family.
The Spiral Skills visit highlighted the Homewards initiative's role in supporting community projects aimed at preventing youth homelessness and improving access to creative and employment opportunities. William's emphasis on music during the visit underscored the royal couple's continuing engagement with causes that promote arts participation and youth development.