‘Your support for my father means a great deal’: Prince William breaks silence
At a fundraising gala with Tom Cruise in London, Prince William thanked wellwishers for their messages of support for King Charles and his wife Catherine.
The Prince of Wales thanked wellwishers yesterday for their supportive messages for his wife and father, saying that they meant “a great deal to us all”.
Speaking for the first time since the King’s cancer diagnosis and abdominal surgery for the Princess of Wales, Prince William said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all.”
William was addressing a fundraising gala attended by Tom Cruise, the Hollywood actor, for London’s Air Ambulance, a charity of which the prince is patron.
As he arrived at the event, William said: “We really appreciate everyone’s messages. Thank you.”
It was the heir to the throne’s first day back on duty after taking time off to help with Kate’s recovery from her operation three weeks ago.
The King’s diagnosis was made public on Monday in a statement from Buckingham Palace.
William said: “It’s fair to say that the past few weeks have had a rather ‘medical’ focus. So I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all.”
Keeping the mood light, William made a joke about the Mission: Impossible actor, the star guest. In 2022 William and Kate attended the London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, with Cruise escorting the princess on the red carpet.
Cruise, 61, also had a starring role in the coronation concert, telling the King “you can be my wingman any time”.
William, who was a helicopter pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017, said: “I should also take this opportunity to give a mention to my – our – fellow pilot, Tom Cruise. Tom, huge thanks for supporting us tonight.
“And if you wouldn’t mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next Mission: Impossible, it would be appreciated. We have all seen on our screens that – how can I put it – you seem to have a different take on ‘normal wear and tear’ to the rest of us. It’s not the kind that buffs out, that’s for sure.”
William backed the campaign Up Against Time, which aims to provide two new helicopters for the London Air Ambulance and praised their lifesaving work, including the rescue of Milana Hadji-Touma, a mother of two who survived a fall and was speaking at the event.
The prince said: “Just wait to hear Milana’s story later this evening of how the air ambulance and its incredible teams have given her a second chance at life.”
Earlier in the day, William was wearing his RAF uniform to conduct investitures at Windsor Castle, an engagement that had been in his diary since before his wife’s surgery.
Palace aides made it clear that William had not met his brother during Prince Harry’s whirlwind 25-hour stay in Britain.
Harry arrived in London at about 1pm on Tuesday following a phone call from his father breaking the news of the cancer diagnosis. The prince went straight to Clarence House for a 30-minute meeting with his father before the King and Queen departed for Sandringham.
After the first face-to-face meeting between father and son for nine months, Harry stayed overnight at a hotel before flying back to his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Archie, four, and Lilibet, two, in Montecito, California.
It will be left to other working members of the royal family to rally round the King as he continues his treatment.
William will take time off next week to be with his wife and children over the half-term holidays and will resume duties after that.
The Princess Royal has a full diary of engagements and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will also step in with royal duties later this week.
Last night (Wednesday), Charles had a telephone call with Rishi Sunak, the prime minister. Palace aides described it as “a catch-up” rather than a replacement for the weekly audiences between the pair, which the King intends to resume in person later this month.
Charles plans to travel to London for the meetings, which usually take place on a Wednesday, and to continue to receive specialist cancer treatment as an outpatient. Where this is not possible, or if the King’s doctors advise against it, the meetings may be held virtually. The same will be true of privy council meetings.
It is understood that the King’s public duties have been postponed, not on account of any incapacity or frailty, but to minimise the risk of infection or exposure to viruses while he undergoes treatment, which is understood to be “a pioneering and less invasive treatment” than other options.
A source said: “Cancer treatment has come on in leaps and bounds and therefore the efficacy and side effects are significantly improved.”
The Times
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