The Prince and Princess of Wales enjoyed a day of engagements in Pontypridd, south Wales

During a visit to a community garden in Pontypridd ahead of St. David’s Day, the Princess of Wales delighted young volunteers by promising to share her personal recipe for plum jam. Engaging with the group, Kate, 43, learned about their efforts to grow plums and turn them into homemade jam.

“I’ll send you my recipe so you can try it,” she told them warmly. She also shared her own foraging experiences in Norfolk, where her three children were particularly amazed by a “huge” puffball mushroom she recently discovered near their home.

The Princess and her husband, Prince William travelled by train to Pontypridd, before receiving a warm welcome as they stepped out for their first joint engagements since the February half-term break.

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The visit was delayed by almost an hour due to train disruptions, with the couple sharing a video of their arrival at Cardiff rail station, to the surprise of fellow commuters.

Their first port of call was Pontypridd Market, which has been at the heart of the community since 1805, where the royal couple went head-to-head as they tried their hand at making a batch of traditional Welsh cakes – and the future king thanked TV cook Mary Berry for his baking success.

During their time in Pontypridd, the Prince and Princess also met with local people affected by the severe flooding caused by Storm Bert and Storm Darragh, which hit the region in the space of just two weeks in late 2024.

Kate announced she was in remission from cancer in January, and the day trip is the latest in a run of appearances since the start of the year, which included a visit to a mother and baby unit in a women’s prison in Cheshire recently.

The couple were greeted by excited locals, waving Welsh flags, as they arrived at Pontypridd Market. The community is home to a wide range of businesses, spanning from butchers and green grocers to cafés, toy stores, book shops and textile companies.