Prince William Returns to Royal Duties 2 Days After Missing Public Appearance Due to "Personal Matter"

Prince William made his first public appearance since he missed the memorial service for his late godfather King Constantine of Greece due to what Kensington Palace noted was a "personal matter."

By Elyse Dupre Feb 29, 2024 6:40 PMTags
Watch: Prince William Returns to Royal Duties Amid Family Health Battles

Prince William is back to his busy schedule. 

Two days after he suddenly canceled his appearance at his late godfather King Constantine of Greece's memorial service over what Kensington Palace called a "personal matter," the Prince of Wales resumed his public duties with a visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London.

During the Feb. 29 event, William met Rabbi Daniel Epstein as well as with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt. He also sat down with ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust and heard from young people about how they've been affected by antisemitism. 

During the discussion, William condemned hatred towards the Jewish community and expressed his and wife Kate Middleton's concerns about the rise in antisemitism.

"Well, you've heard it from me, antisemitism has no place in society. I've said that before and I'll say it again," he said, per the BBC, later adding, "Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism that you guys have talked about so eloquently this morning, and I'm just so sorry you've had to experience that."

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A Guide to Kate Middleton and Prince William's Royal Titles

And while Kate—who is recovering from an abdominal surgery—didn't join William on the visit, he was given a bouquet of flowers for his wife of more than 12 years.

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William's outing comes as a spokesperson for the Princess of Wales reemphasized her desire for privacy following the procedure.

"Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates," the spokesperson said. "That guidance stands." 

Upon sharing the news of Kate's surgery in mid-January, Kensington Palace indicated the 42-year-old—who shares kids Prince George, 10; Princess Charlotte, 8; and Prince Louis, 5, with William—would not return to public duties until after Easter.

"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate," the Palace added at the time. "She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private."

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To read more royal news from this year—including Kate's father-in-law King Charles III's own health battle—keep reading.

Returning to Public Duties

On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties

Queen Camilla Attends Royal Maundy Service

The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition.

Kate Middleton Shares Cancer Diagnosis

In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

"It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy

After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored. 

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C."

Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby

Princess Diana's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby.

“It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post. "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today."

Queen Camilla Takes a Break

After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule.

The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day.

Thomas Kensington Dies at 45

The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide.

King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer

While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer.

"His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."

Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer

The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne

On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th

Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized

Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days.

"Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."

Prince William Adjusting His Schedule

Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

King Charles III Undergoing Treatment

Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate."

"His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."

Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby

Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!

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