On Wednesday, Prince William expressed his gratitude to the British public for their kind messages regarding his wife Kate’s recent surgery and his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. As he resumed his official duties, he acknowledged the support he received.
William was in the spotlight for the royals, while his brother Harry, who is no longer close with the family, was planning to go back to the US after a quick visit with their father.
William, the Prince of Wales, expressed his gratitude for the kind messages of support for Catherine and his father. He wanted to take this chance to say thank you, as it meant a lot to all of them, especially in recent days.
He mentioned attending a gala dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity, which included Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, as a way to escape the recent emphasis on medical matters in the past few weeks.
On Wednesday, the heir to the throne made his second official public appearance after taking a break from work to care for his three children. This break was necessary as his wife, Kate, underwent planned abdominal surgery on Jan. 16 and spent two weeks in the hospital recovering.
After that, his father received treatment at the hospital for a bigger prostate. Then, Buckingham Palace declared on Monday that further tests on the 75-year-old king showed he had a type of cancer.
The king has delayed his public duties for outpatient treatment, and Kate is not expected to resume engagements until after Easter. This means that the remaining royals, particularly William and Charles’ wife Queen Camilla, have the responsibility of representing the monarchy to the public.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, shows his reaction while conversing with American actor Tom Cruise during the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner at The OWO in central London, UK, on February 7, 2024.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, shows his reaction while chatting with American actor Tom Cruise at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner in central London on February 7, 2024.
Royal writer Robert Hardman mentioned that William had started to take on important state responsibilities towards the end of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, as she was facing mobility challenges.
‘QUASI HEAD OF STATE’
Hardman told Reuters that although it’s not very different, there is definitely the pressure of high expectations. He mentioned that there will be times when he has to step in and act as a quasi head of state, similar to how Prince Charles did when the queen was unwell.
The king went to Sandringham House in eastern England on Tuesday with Camilla after a short 30-minute meeting with his son Harry, who had flown in to visit his father after being informed about the king’s cancer diagnosis.
Harry, who is 39 years old, has had limited communication with several members of the Windsors after expressing his disapproval of the monarchy since he resigned from his royal responsibilities nearly four years ago.
A source from the royal family mentioned that there were no arrangements for him to meet his older brother William while he was in Britain. After spending just around 24 hours in the country, Harry was spotted at Heathrow Airport. He was expected to fly back to California, where he currently resides with his wife Meghan and their two children.
Charles plans to carry on with his royal duties and handle government documents, despite his diagnosis. He was scheduled to have a phone call with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, according to Sunak’s spokesperson.
Buckingham Palace has not provided any specific information about the king’s condition, except to mention that it is not prostate cancer. However, they did mention that the king is staying optimistic and eagerly anticipating his return to public responsibilities at the earliest opportunity.
