Prince William Breaks Silence on King Charles III’s Cancer Diagnosis

Prince William is moved by the outpouring of support for King Charles III.

Following news that the monarch was diagnosed with cancer, the Prince of Wales showed his appreciation for the well wishes his family recently received as his father and his wife Kate Middleton deal with their respective health struggles.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days,” William shared during the London’s Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner on Dec. 7. “It means a great deal to us all.”

He jokingly added, “It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather ‘medical’ focus, so I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!”

The charity function was one of William’s first public engagement since taking a brief break from royal duties to care for his and Kate’s kids—Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8 and Prince Louis, 5—amid the Princess of Wales’ recovery.

Buckingham Palace first shared the news of Charles’ cancer diagnosis on Feb. 5, explaining that during the 75-year-old’s “recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”

“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments,” they said, “during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties.”

Meanwhile, Charles’ daughter-in-law Kate has paused royal duties after undergoing abdominal surgery. While the exact details of the surgery have not been publicly shared, a Palace source confirmed to NBC News on Jan. 17 that it was noncancerous.

“The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery,” a Jan. 29 statement from Kensington Palace read. “She is making good progress. The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.”