Prince William Answers if Kate Middleton Is ‘Getting Any Better’

Published: 12:55 PM PDT, June 5, 2024

Kate Middleton wasn’t far from people’s minds amid her absence at the royal family’s latest engagement.

On Wednesday, Prince William joined his father, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla at an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth, England. Noticeably absent from the occasion was Kate — who has been out of the spotlight while receiving treatment for cancer.

In a video, posted on X (formally Twitter), William gives an update on his wife’s health. William is perched closely to a veteran in the wheelchair who asks if his wife “is getting any better.” 

The 41-year-old Prince of Wales sweetly replies, “Yes, she’d love to be here today.” 

William also took the time to share how Kate’s grandmother had military service of her own.

“I was reminding everyone her grandmother served at Bletchley Park,” he said. “So she had quite a few in common with some of the ladies here who were at Bletchley.”

In March, Kate publicly reveled her cancer diagnosis and shared that she would be stepping away from royal duties and public life, as she sought treatment.

William’s Wednesday outing comes ahead of the royal family’s planned appearance for the annual Trooping the Colour military event in June. ET learned that the Princess of Wales, who was appointed the Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, will not be at the events and will not do the Colonel’s Review. 

In fact, a source told ET last month that Kate is not expected to return to public life until she is cleared by her doctors. There is no timeline for when that could be.

“Princess Kate is still focusing on her recovery but she has been spotted running errands with her family,” the source said. “Her priority remains on her young children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. She is being fully supported by Prince William, who has been devoted to her recuperation. Her mother and siblings have also been dedicated to her recovery and other members of the family have stepped in to support her young family.”

The source added that even though the mother of three is being kept up to date about her patronages, that doesn’t mean she is ready to return to work.

“While Kate was ‘kept up to date’ on the release of the Royal Foundation Business Task Force for Early Childhood report, which was released last week, there is no indication she is returning to work imminently,” the source shared. “She will only return to work when her medical team gives the go ahead.”

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