Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Hiring a New Staff Member, But the Job Requires a Rare Skill

Ready to join Kate Middleton and Prince William’s team? You may need to brush up on your Welsh first.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are hiring a new assistant private secretary to join their staff at Kensington Palace, where their official office is based. On top of requiring exceptional communication and organizational skills, the position also calls for a few unique qualities that will help the royal couple strengthen their relationship with Wales.

“This is an exciting opportunity to join the dedicated team at Kensington Palace, supporting TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales,” the job description states. “The Assistant Private Secretary for Wales & U.K. will lead the planning and delivery for most of TRH’s public engagements in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and contribute to the development of the Household’s strategy to maximize impact across the constituent nations of the U.K., with a particular focus on Wales.”

They are looking for a candidate “with a proven ability to build productive relationships with a wide range of individuals and institutions. You will have a proactive, hands-on approach while operating in a small and agile team, and a strong understanding of Welsh communities, affairs, government and business.”

Prince William and Princess Kate, both 42, are also looking for someone who has mastered the notoriously tricky Welsh language. “Conversational Welsh is essential, and fluent Welsh, both written and spoken, is desirable,” according to the job description.

King Charles famously learned Welsh in the lead-up to his investiture ceremony for the traditional title for the heir to the throne in July 1969 with the help of Dr. Edward “Tedi” Millward, a relationship that was portrayed in the third season of The Crown. The monarch had a record-setting tenure as the Prince of Wales, serving in the role for 64 years before becoming monarch upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022.

In his first speech as the new British monarch, King Charles named his eldest son and daughter-in-law as the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

“I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty,” the King said. “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given.”

Prince William and Princess Kate visited Wales for the first time with their new titles as soon as possible, one day after the period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth’s death was over in September 2022. Rev. Steven Bunting, who hosted the couple in Swansea during the visit, told PEOPLE that William was learning the ancient national language.

“He talked about learning Welsh and shared some Welsh phrases he’s trying to do,” Bunting shared, revealing that the royal was practicing the phrases “paned” (a cup, such as of tea) and “bara brith” (traditional Welsh tea bread).

The couple have visited Wales on several occasions since, including on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2023.

Even before they became the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate had a special connection to the country, as it’s where they lived as newlyweds and first-time parents.

Prince William trained to become a helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force’s Search and Rescue Force, graduating from the Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, Wales. According to Tatler, he was the first member of the royal family to live in the U.K. nation since King Henry VII in the 1400s.

Prince William and Kate announced their engagement in 2010, adding that they would continue to live in North Wales, where William worked as an air-sea rescue pilot. Kate made her first official royal outing in Wales a few months later in February 2011 at the Trearddur Bay Lifeboat Station, where she christened a new lifeboat.

After the couple wed in April 2011, Wales was the setting for William and Kate’s life as newlyweds. It was also where they spent their first months as parents after they welcomed their first child, their son Prince George, in July 2013.

Princess Kate has only stepped out for two public events in 2024 amid her cancer treatment, appearing at Trooping the Colour on June 15 and at Wimbledon on July 14. Her appearance at the tennis tournament was likely her last public outing for some time, as the royals traditionally retreat from the public eye during the summer months.

“She won’t have to be on center stage,” a palace insider tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Being with her family and just being herself will give her energy. There will be plenty of time to focus on her recovery.”

Source people.com