Prince William forced to cancel royal engagement at the last minute

Prince William was forced cancelled a royal outing at short notice, just two days after Princess Catherine announced she was in remission from cancer.

Prince William was forced to cancel a royal outing at short notice, interrupting a busy week for the Duke of Cambridge.

Prince William, 42, was planning to visit families and servicemen and women at a military regiment where he holds a prestigious royal role.

In a message, Kensington Palace said the poor weather would have “significantly restricted the planned program.” So the Prince of Wales’s outing to the Army Air Corps (AAC) regiment in Wattisham, Suffolk, was postponed.

Prince of Wales, patron of the College of Paramedics, speaks to attendees as he attends the inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference in Birmingham, England. WPA Pool/Getty Images

“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,” the Palace said.

Prince William had been expected to arrive in a Wildcat Helicopter, which the AAC deploys for reconnaissance. Then, the royal was due to talk to the servicemembers about the Corps’ work and meet teams training at the facility.

He was also expected to have discussions with soldiers and their families and hear about their experiences as enlisted forces and how it impacts their lives and mental health.

Prince William is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a title King Charles bestowed upon him last year, effectively making him the leader of his brother Prince Harry’s former regiment.

King Charles III passes the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army air corps to Prince William. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

King Charles, 76, announced that heir to the throne, William, would hold the role in a raft of new military appointments as he ramps up duties for working members of the royal family.

The Duke of Sussex, who has stepped back from royal duties, trained as an Army Air Corps pilot in 2009 and served with the AAC during his second tour in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013.

Prince William trained as a military pilot and served with the Royal Air Force’s Search and Rescue Force at RAF Valley in North Wales, from 2010 to 2013. He later retrained as an Air Ambulance Pilot and worked for East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017, continuing his career.

It comes as the day before, Prince William spoke to the College of Paramedics in Birmingham and kicked off his new patronage. On the return journey to London, the royal stopped off at a local pub to surprise fans of his favourite soccer team, Aston Villa.

On January 14, the Princess of Wales announced that she is in remission from cancer following a surprise stop at the London hospital where she received treatment in 2024. William made his visit to Birmingham the following day, marking his first royal duty of the new year.