Prince William breaks silence on Princess Catherine
After cancelling an appearance at a memorial service earlier this week due to a “personal matter”, Prince William has appeared in public with some words from his wife.
Royals
Don't miss out on the headlines from Royals. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Prince William has said that both he and Princess Catherine are “extremely concerned about the rise of antisemitism,” during his first public appearance in more than a week as speculation grows over the whereabouts of his wife as she continues her recovery from “planned abdominal surgery” last month.
The Prince of Wales appeared in public for the first time in eight days after dropping out of a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece earlier this week, citing a “personal matter” as Princess Catherine continues to recover at the family’s Windsor home.
The Palace swiftly issued an update saying he personally called in advance to cancel and that the Princess is “doing well” and there was no need to “panic”.
Princess Catherine has not been seen in public since Christmas Day and has been convalescing at their Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage, since undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
The prince visited a London synagogue where he met with Ambassadors of the Holocaust Educational Trust which campaigns against hatred amid a rise in antisemitic incidents amid the Israel-Hamas war.
He also met 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Renee Salt who was in Auschwitz, and 93-year-old Manfred Goldberg who spent time in Stuttgart camp.
After meeting with Jewish students affected by the rise of hatred on the streets of Britain, the future king said: “Well, you’ve heard it from me, antisemitism has no place in society, you’ve heard that from me OK – I’ve said that before and I’ll say it again.
“And hearing all … your lived experiences 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, it has no place and it shouldn’t happen,” Prince William said.
“So that’s why I’m here today to reassure you all that people do care, people do listen and we can’t let that keep going.”
“Today His Royal Highness reminded us that antisemitism is not only a problem for the Jewish community but for all society,” Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust Karen Pollock said of the Prince’s visit t the synagogue.
“He listened to young Jewish students who are facing a deluge of antisemitic hate on campus, share their personal experiences of this anti-Jewish hate and he met young Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors, who are campaigning against antisemitism despite not being Jewish themselves.”
Last week, Prince William released a statement on the Gaza conflict saying: “I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed.
“I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible.
“There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.
“Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home.
“Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that.”
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla has continued to lead the royal family amid the King’s cancer treatment and offered a guiding hand to Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska at her London residence.
Days after the second anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Queen led Ms Zelenska, placing with an arm on her back, into the Garden Room of Clarence House for a poignant meeting about the conflict.
The King was in London on Thursday local time but did not attend the meeting.
It is understood that the wife of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president,
thanked the Queen for The King’s recent message of support to Ukraine and explained how much it meant to Ukrainians.
“The Queen in turn shared how the UK is thinking of Ukraine as they mark this sad milestone,” a palace source said.
“Among other topics likely to have been touched on are the bravery and resilience of Ukrainians and the UK’s determination to support the nation, thanking Ms Zelenska for her attendance at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth and at the coronation of their Majesties and the impact the conflict has had in particular on the women and children of Ukraine.
“The mental and physical scars they bear and how the UK can assist in caring for them were also discussed,” the source said.
The two women previously met in November 2022 at a Buckingham Palace reception to raise awareness of violence against women.
Ms Zelenska was a guest at the King and Queen’s coronation last May, representing her war-torn nation with its prime minister Denys Shmyhal.
The Queen has earned the sobriquet “the monarchy’s saviour” and has been trumpeted for keeping “the show on the road” in the King’s absence, and while Catherine continues to recover from surgery.
She led the Royal Family at the memorial service for King Constantine of Greece earlier this week, with the Prince of Wales pulled out.
At the meeting with Ms Zelenska the Queen shared how the UK is thinking of Ukraine as they mark the two-year milestone.
“The queen spoke of the impact the conflict has had in particular on the women and children of Ukraine, the mental and physical scars they bear, and how the UK can assist in caring for them,” the palace source said.
And the Royal Family have continued to band together in the absence of King Charles and Princess Catherine. On Thursday local time, Prince William’s cousin, Princess Beatrice appeared to step in for the Princess of Wales when she fronted a London event to mark Student Mental Health Week and spoke on a panel about young people’s wellbeing.
the 35-year-old princess joined forces with US-based company, Chegg, to take part in the event in London espousing mental health and wellbeing of young people, a cause close to the Wales’s hearts.
More Coverage
Originally published as Prince William breaks silence on Princess Catherine
Meghan’s dig at royals amid anniversary of Queen’s death
While the royals attended a church service to mark the second anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death, Meghan Markle was mingling with celebrities at a book event. See photos.
‘Stressful’: King’s health update ahead of Aussie tour
The health of King Charles is under scrutiny as he marks a poignant milestone after a turbulent year for the royals.