Prince William Has Broken His Silence on King Charles Cancer

Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales leaves the stage after delivering a speech during the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner at The OWO on February 7, 2024 in London, England

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Prince William has spoken out about his dad King Charles' cancer diagnosis, and his wife Princess Kate's recovery from surgery, both of which are sadly unfolding simultaneously.

On Feb. 7, the Prince of Wales returned to royal duties after taking several weeks off to support the princess and their three children. One of his official engagements that day was the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner—which means a lot to him given his past experience as an air ambulance pilot.

"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. It means a great deal to us all," William said during his speech at the event (via E! News).

In true English fashion, the prince proceeded to lighten the mood, remarking, "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."

Prince William gives a speech at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner on Feb. 7.

The King revealed his cancer diagnosis to the public on Monday via a statement from Buckingham Palace. The statement read in part, "He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."

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As for Catherine, Kensington Palace shared that she had successfully undergone a "planned abdominal surgery" in mid-January. She remained in the hospital for a total of 13 days, and is now recovering at home in Windsor until her doctors advise she can resume her duties.

Wishing both royals a prompt recovery.

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.