Prince William Responds to Veteran’s Inquiry about Kate Middleton’s Cancer Treatment Progress
Prince William was asked for an update about Kate Middleton on his latest outing.
During an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings on June 5, the Prince of Wales addressed a question about his wife, who is undergoing treatment for cancer. According to a video circulating on social media, a veteran asked William if Kate was “getting any better.”
“Yes,” Prince William, 41, responded. “She’d have loved to be here today.”
The royal continued, “I was reminding everyone her grandmother served at Bletchley Park, so she had quite a few in common with some of the ladies here who were at Bletchley.” Princess Kate’s paternal grandmother, Valerie Glassborow, worked at the secret wartime spy base that sought to break enemy codes, which the royal visited in 2019.
“Thank goodness,” the veteran said.
“It’s lovely to see you. I will see you in five years’ time for the 85th,” Prince William told him as they shook hands.
The Princess of Wales, 42, has remained out of the public eye since announcing on March 22 that she was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The update came after Kensington Palace announced that the royal had planned abdominal surgery in January. Princess Kate said that she would return to her royal work when the time was right in a self-written speech to share the news about her health.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” Princess Kate said in the video filmed in the garden of Windsor Castle, not far from her home at Adelaide Cottage where she lives with Prince William and their kids, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”
Though the Princess of Wales has maintained a low profile in the weeks since, sources tell PEOPLE she has recently been spotted out with her family and solo running errands.
Prince William took a few weeks off from public royal duties after his wife shared her health news, returning to work in mid-April. The heir to the British throne has said several times at recent engagements since that his wife is “doing well.”
During a visit to the Isles of Scilly on May 10, hospital administrator Tracy Smith asked Prince William, “May I ask how Princess Kate is doing?”
“She’s doing well, thank you,” he replied.
“Lovely, and the children as well?” Smith continued, to which William shared, “The children are very jealous that I’m here and that they’re not here as well.”
The Isles of Scilly are known to be a favorite summer getaway for William, Kate and their kids, and the royal couple has previously been spotted biking around Tresco. Vacationing on the islands off the southwest tip of England continues a tradition for William, as he spent time there as a boy with Princess Diana, the future King Charles and Prince Harry.
Prince William also brought Prince George to two soccer matches since Princess Kate shared the news about her health, attending games together on April 11 and May 25.
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Prince William’s joint outing with King Charles and Queen Camilla on June 5 was the first of many engagements in which the British royal family marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.
On June 6, the royals will make outings in France for anniversary events. The trip is the King’s first visit overseas since the palace announced his cancer diagnosis in February and his return to public royal work in late April.
Meanwhile, Prince William will attend the Canadian commemorative ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre followed by the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, where he’ll join over 25 heads of state and veterans in marking the historic anniversary.
