Prince William was seen enjoying father-son bonding time with George at Aston Villa’s Conference League match tonight in his first public appearance since Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis.
The Prince of Wales was seen applauding in the stands at Villa Park with his eldest son Prince George when a header from striker Ollie Watkins gave Villa an early lead over French side Lille in the 14th minute.
William, an avid Aston Villa fan, was seen saying a few words to his smiling son, dressed in a blue and burgundy supporters scarf.
The family stayed at Anmer Hall in Norfolk with their in-laws over the Easter school holidays while Kate Middleton receives treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, announced last month.
Prince William broke his silence on social media following the tragic news of his wife’s cancer diagnosis just on Wednesday, paying tribute to England Lioness and Villa striker Rachel Daly after she announced her retirement from international football.
Prince William and Prince George were seen celebrating Aston Villa’s first goal against Lille.
William, an avid Villa fan, enjoyed some father-son bonding time with George on Thursday.
William, who is an avid Aston Villa fan, turned and appeared to say a few words to his son.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales and Prince George of Wales watch during the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg match between Aston Villa and Lille OSC
Prince William and Prince George of Wales watch the match alongside Villa center Tyrone Mings (right)
The family has kept a low profile in recent weeks as the Princess of Wales takes time to recover amid rounds of “preventive” chemotherapy to stop the disease.
It is currently understood that the family will spend the Easter holidays in Norfolk, before the children return to their private school in Berkshire.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will return on April 17.
Carole Middleton, 69, has also been supporting her daughter during her recovery at her home in Windsor, and the princess will step back from royal duties until clear return for your medical equipment.
Prince William broke his silence on Wednesday and paid tribute to Rachel Daly as she retired from international football.
In a terse statement shared on the Instagram account run by the Prince and Princess of Wales, he said: “Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with the Lionesses, Rachel Daly.”
“There are a lot more goals for Villa now,” he joked, as Daly focused solely on her role as Aston Villa’s number 9 in the women’s team.
Prince William, who has not been seen publicly since his wife’s announcement, is not expected to resume his public duties until his children return to school after the holidays.
However, he was allegedly spotted on a ‘low-key’ pub outing in Norfolk with his mother-in-law over the weekend.
“A client tells me: ‘Everything was very discreet, without much fanfare. She just walked in and walked through the pub. He seemed to be with Carole Middleton,” the WhatsNew2Day’s Richard Eden wrote in today’s paper.
Kate Middleton announced her shocking cancer diagnosis in March, acknowledging that she was receiving “preventive” chemotherapy after a period of absence from public life.
He said it had been “an incredibly difficult couple of months” for her family, but that she was “doing well and getting stronger every day.”
The news came after it was announced in February that King Charles III was also receiving cancer treatment.
Earlier this week, Kensington Palace had issued thank you cards to members of the public who had sent their best wishes to the Princess following the announcement.
The family has kept a low profile in recent weeks, but spent the Easter holidays with their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
William has not been seen publicly since his wife’s announcement and is not expected to resume his public duties until his children return to school.
In February he spoke to Holocaust survivor Renee Salt at the Western Marble Arch synagogue in London and participated in discussions about the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain.
Ollie Watkins arrived at the back post to head in John McGinn’s corner and give Villa a 1-0 lead.
Kate, 42, has been inundated with messages from royal fans wishing for her recovery.
A woman shared an image of the card sent to her by Kensington Palace.
The heir to the British throne has long been a passionate Villa supporter, and has even taken his son, Prince George, to matches at Villa Park (pictured in March 2023).
Kate (pictured with Princess Charlotte on Christmas Day 2023), 42, announced via an emotional video message in late March that she is in the early stages of treatment following a cancer diagnosis.
Prince William, 41, shared a personal message this afternoon on the official Instagram account he shares with the Princess of Wales.
William, a keen football fan who supports the Birmingham team, became president of the FA in 2006 and regularly attends England matches and FA Cup finals. Pictured are the Prince and Princess of Wales in November 2023.
Three days before the princess announced her diagnosis, William had attended a conference to help end homelessness at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield.
Aston Villa sealed a 2-1 win against Lille after John McGinn delivered an excellent corner to the far post which Watkins headed in.
It was the Villa striker’s 25th goal of the season, and his captain McGinn scored himself in the second half to make it 2-0.
Lille would pull a goal back late thanks to Bafode Diakite, but the Villans would ultimately finish the rest of the match 2-1.
Aston Villa will play against Premier League first-placed Arsenal on Sunday, April 14.