Prince William fills royal void during King Charles’ cancer treatment
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Prince William hosted an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, handing out honours for citizens recognised for their community work and other good deeds.
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM/PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
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LONDON - With his father King Charles III undergoing cancer treatment and his wife recovering from surgery, Britain’s Prince William found himself thrust back to the front line of royal duties on Feb 7.
The King’s shock cancer diagnosis, Princess Catherine’s abdominal operation
King Charles’ eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince William had postponed public engagements to care for his wife, the Princess of Wales, and their three children after she was admitted to hospital on Jan 16.
But on Feb 7, he was back on duty, hosting an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, west of London, handing out honours for citizens recognised for their community work and other good deeds.
It had been three weeks since he last appeared at a major royal event.
He was also scheduled to attend a London Air Ambulance fund-raising gala.
King Charles, who left London on Feb 6 for his Sandringham residence in eastern England, will hold his weekly meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by telephone for a change.
“We have agreed with the palace in this specific instance to confirm that they will be speaking on the phone later,” Mr Sunak’s spokesperson said.
Mr Sunak made a brief reference to the King’s cancer diagnosis in Parliament.
“I know the thoughts of the house and the country are with the King and his family,” he told the House of Commons.
“We wish His Majesty a speedy recovery and look forward to him resuming his public-facing duties in due course,” he added.
Prince William is expected to take on some of his father’s duties while the King undergoes treatment, alongside King Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, and his wife, Queen Camilla.
Buckingham Palace has not specified the type of cancer the 75-year-old monarch has, although it is understood not to be prostate cancer and Mr Sunak has said it was “caught early”.
‘Very deep’ rift
The diagnosis comes just 17 months into King Charles’ reign following the death of his 96-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept 8, 2022.
Adding to the drama, the King’s estranged son, Prince Harry, flew in from his US home on Feb 6.
The pair had a 45-minute meeting at King Charles’s Clarence House residence in London before the King left for Sandringham.
Prince Harry’s return has sparked speculation it could serve as a catalyst to heal family tensions that have blighted King Charles’ reign.
Prince Harry and his brother have reportedly not spoken in months because of bad feeling caused by Prince Harry’s public criticism of his family.
Prince Harry quit royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California, where he now lives with his American wife Meghan Markle and their two young children.
Prince Harry has repeatedly aired his complaints about the way he feels he and his wife were mistreated during their time as working royals, culminating in January 2023 with his autobiography, Spare.
The Press Association news agency reported that there were no plans for the brothers to meet while Prince Harry was in Britain.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams described the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, and the rest of the royal family as “very deep”.
Reports said he had stayed at a luxury London hotel overnight following Charles’ decision to block him from using his former home on the Windsor estate.
It was not known how long Prince Harry was due to stay in the country.
‘Pressure’ on William
Citizens expressed sympathy for Prince William, who they noted now faced the double burden of maintaining his family life with extra official duties.
“He’s got a hard job because his wife is poorly at the moment, so that’s an added pressure on poor William, but I’m sure that he will cope,” pensioner Sue Hazell told AFP outside Buckingham Palace on Feb 6.
Princess Kate is expected to be out of action until at least March 31, her office has said.
Officials have not given details of her surgery except to say it was not linked to cancer.
Canadian tourist Sarah Paterson, a 44-year-old entrepreneur, said that Prince William must be “beside himself” given the recent deaths of his grandfather and his grandmother, along with the health problems faced by his father and his wife.
But she was “1,000 per cent” confident that Prince William would be a good stand-in, adding: “I think he’ll probably be king sooner than he hoped.” AFP
