Prince William promises to ‘look after’ Kate at first royal event since her cancer diagnosis
Prince William has promised to “look after” Kate while on his first public engagement since she revealed her cancer diagnosis.
The heir to the throne, 41, returning to work today, April 18, to help publicise community and environmental impact organisations in Surrey and West London.
While visiting “Surplus to Supper”, he took the opportunity to reassure the public that he is doing his best to look after his wife and seemed visibly touched when he was given “Get Well Soon” cards for both her and King Charles, who is also battling cancer.
The prince spoke to volunteers at the food charity as he lent his hand in the kitchen and packed food for redistribution.
He will also pay a visit to a youth centre in west London today which benefits from the organisation’s deliveries later today.
William’s visit is to “spotlight the community and environmental impact organizations in the area are having through their work”, Kensington Palace said on Tuesday.
His last public engagement was on 19 March when he made a visit to Sheffield to promote his Homewards homelessness campaign.
But he took time away from his duties to spend his days with his family after Kate revealed in a video message to the nation on 22 March that her cancer diagnosis has come as a “shock” and the family needs time, space and privacy as she undergoes treatment for the cancer.
“I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said.
“It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.”
The cancer news came during her post-operative tests following an abdominal surgery in January. Before her diagnosis, she was set to return to the palace after Easter.
William has been notably less active in official engagements since his wife’s statement, though he’s made occasional public appearances. His most recent royal commitment involved visiting housing projects in Sheffield back in March
Recently, he was spotted attending an Aston Villa football match with his eldest son, Prince George.
The King, who has been carrying out low-key official duties behind palace walls, made his most significant public appearance at the Easter Sunday service since his own cancer diagnosis was announced at the start of February.
William’s return to public duty is a welcome one amid this tumultuous time for the royal family, who have just nine working members left – most of whom are minor, senior royals.
The family has significantly reduced in size in recent years - in part as a result of the Queen’s death in 2022, Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down as senior working royals in 2020, and Prince Andrew’s disastrous association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which forced him out of public life.
But while Harry and Meghan are no longer a part of the so-called “Firm”, the pair have been vocal about their many new projects in recent weeks.
They are both working on respective non-fiction shows as part of their £80 million deal with Netflix and Meghan has recently announced her own luxury lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which she promoted this week by gifting influencers jars of jam.
