Prince William Suddenly Cancels Royal Engagement, Says He Would Have Been "Significantly Restricted"

Prince William's schedule suddenly changed on Thursday, Jan. 16 when he had to withdraw from an official engagement without much warning.

The Prince of Wales had been set to visit the Army Air Corps (AAC) regiment in Wattisham, Suffolk, where he would've met with military personnel and their families. Prince William became the Army Air Corps colonel-in-chief in May 2024, when King Charles gave his eldest son the important role at the regiment where Prince Harry once served.

Kensington Palace released a statement regarding Thursday's cancelation, saying (via the East Anglian Daily Times), "The Prince of Wales sends his sincere apologies to those who he had been due to meet and hopes to reschedule his visit at the earliest convenience."

Unfortunately, the visit was canceled on account of bad weather, which would have made any planned activities very challenging.

King Charles handed over the colonel-in-chief role to his son in May 2024 after holding it himself for 32 years. "The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed," King Charles said of the news, via the BBC. The monarch also noted that he was "tinged with great sadness" when it came to stepping down from the role "after 32 years of knowing you all."

Charles celebrated the work of the Army Air Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying he had "immense admiration" for them. "I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief," Charles explained.

Earlier this week, Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate, were announced as royal co-patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. To celebrate the news, Kate made an in-person appearance at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she received cancer treatment in 2024.

As reported by The Independent, Kate suggested that she'd attended all of her treatment appointments via a concealed entrance, presumably to avoid unwanted attention. "I was just saying, coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it's quite nice," the Princess of Wales said.