Prince William has waded into the long-running scone debate, revealing how the late Queen Elizabeth II preferred to eat hers. Appearing on Heart Breakfast on Friday, the Prince of Wales was presented with a plate of scones, clotted cream, and jam, prompting hosts Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden to ask him to settle the age-old question: cream first or jam first?
The Royal Verdict on Scones
The debate has long divided opinion, with the Devon tradition calling for cream first, followed by jam, while the Cornish method reverses the order. As Duke of Cornwall, William was playfully pressed by Holden, who said, "You are the Duke of Cornwall. There are two ways: the Devonian way and the Cornish way. What do you do? Think carefully."
William replied, "I love that I'm the authority on scones. I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother. She would definitely have the cream on first. Cream on first, jam on top." This revelation settles the debate in favour of the Devon style, at least as far as the late monarch was concerned.
William's School Run and Family Life
During the interview, which took place from the Isles of Scilly, William also shared insights into his family life. He confessed he is not a morning person and would typically be doing the school run for Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. However, he revealed that Prince George is now boarding at Lambrook, the private school near Ascot in Berkshire that all three children attend.
William joked about Louis's fondness for jam sandwiches in the car, saying, "He'll leave jam fingerprints throughout the car, which is really helpful."
Pride in Kate's Italy Trip
The prince also spoke of his pride in wife Kate, who last week completed her first official overseas visit since her cancer diagnosis. She travelled to Reggio Emilia in Italy, where she learned about innovative early years teaching methods. William said, "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. Most evenings I'm fighting to get past in the bedroom... all the paperwork she's got lined up ready to read. I'm so pleased it went well for her. She came back buzzing."
An aide described the trip as a "huge moment" for Kate, who has been undergoing cancer treatment since her last major overseas trip more than three years ago. William and Kate's last lengthy tour together was their controversial Caribbean trip in March 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee, followed by a three-day visit to Boston in December 2022 for the Earthshot Prize.
Future Overseas Visits
When asked if Kate wants to do more overseas visits, William confirmed, "Yes, I think so. It's kind 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 permanent receive and send the whole time. We have to balance that, make sure she's OK and rested, but yeah, she's in good form."
William joked about Kate speaking Italian during her trip, saying he did not realise she knew the language and quipped, "She must have dusted that off a while ago."
Music and Playlist
William helped pick the breakfast show's playlist, choosing Taylor Swift's "Opalite"—a favourite of Charlotte and Louis—and Raye's chart-topping single "Where Is My Husband." He also received an invitation to Taylor Swift's upcoming summer wedding to Travis Kelce, to which he responded with a laugh and "no comment."
