Prince William pulled out of a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, due to his wife Kate being diagnosed with cancer.
The Prince of Wales’ absence from the St George’s Chapel event at Windsor Castle on February 27 had raised eyebrows, but tonight’s revelation about the princess’ health has shed new light on why he stayed away.
Kate had been diagnosed with cancer, it was revealed tonight – after Buckingham Palace had initially said the previous month that her condition was not cancer.
The princess is now on what has been described as a ‘recovery pathway’ after starting a course of chemotherapy at the end of February.
It is for this reason that William pulled out of a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece.
Prince William, pictured here in Sheffield on Tuesday this week, did not attend a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece in February due to Kate’s cancer diagnosis
Prince Andrew led the way as other royals attended the event on February 27
William’s wife Kate has revealed tonight that she has been diagnosed with cancer
William has already adjusted his royal duties to devote even more time to his family after Kate was first admitted to the London Clinic in January.
The couple have both been dedicated to doing their fair share of the school run every morning and afternoon since their three children started attending the £24,000-a-year Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire in September 2022.
The prince has already adjusted his royal duties to devote even more time to his family after Kate was first admitted to the London Clinic in January.
The co-ed institution is not far from the family’s Frogmore Cottage home on the Windsor estate – and is also convenient for visits by the princess’ parents.
Carole and Michael Middleton live just 33 miles away in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and the strong mother-daughter bond has been a key element in the turbulent past months.
Kate’s siblings Pippa, 40, and James, 36, are also on hand in Bucklebury.
William’s decision not to attend the memorial service for King Constantine came as a surprise at the time, with the reason described as ‘personal reasons’.
Also missing was his father, King Charles, who himself was receiving treatment for cancer.
Queen Camilla was instead the most senior member of the royal family in attendance, and William’s uncle, Prince Andrew, also featured prominently as he led other royals on foot to the service.
Constantine was godfather to William, who is said to have called the Greek royal family to apologize for not being there.
Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York smile as they arrive at the memorial service for King Constantine of Greece on February 27
Prince William and Kate with King Constantine at Windsor Castle in 2012
King Constantine (left) pictured after Prince William’s confirmation as one of his godparents
King Constantine attends church with Charles and Camilla at Sandringham in 2007
Prince William and Kate were seen leaving Windsor together on March 11 this year
The prince was to read from Revelation 21:1-7, a popular reading for funerals that begins “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth”.
He had cleared his diary of official duties to help support Kate’s recovery, although he visited a homeless charity base in Sheffield on Tuesday this week.
The couple were seen being driven from Windsor on March 11, although only William attended the afternoon Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in central London, while Kate continued to a private appointment elsewhere.
Their children, Prince George, 10, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, five, all attend Lambrook School, which starts its summer term on April 17.
William and Kate are believed to have shared “school running” duties, but William has now taken on more duties – as have Kate’s parents Carole, 69, and Michael, 74.
Earlier this month, Carole was snapped behind the wheel of a car driving her daughter – pictured for the first time in two months – around Windsor Castle.
The pictures were published by US gossip website TMZ, but not in the UK after Kensington Palace appealed for her to recover in private.
Kate’s mother has also always been on hand to support Kate at her annual ‘Together At Christmas’ Carol Service – a known passion project for the princess.
The Prince and Princess of Wales accompanied their children George, Louis and Charlotte to their first day at Lambrook School in Berkshire in September 2022
The Princess of Wales has previously been praised for her practical and ‘down to earth’ parenting style
Kate was seen with her family attending church in Sandringham on Christmas Day last year
William and Kate and family stay at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor (file photo)
The Prince of Wales (pictured at the wheel) takes his three children on the school trip
She is known to be close to her mother, pictured together shopping in London
Michael and Carole pictured in the Royal Box on day nine of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships
William waved to a cheering crowd in Sheffield on Tuesday as he returned to royal duties
Other get-togethers have seen the mother and daughter snuggle up at Royal Ascot – and in the summer of 2022, Kate was spotted kissing her parents as the family attended Wimbledon.
Kate, William and their children have their main home as the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor grounds in Berkshire, with no staff, although they do have a nanny, housekeeper and security team living nearby.
The Grade II listed property is owned by the Crown Estate and the couple are said to be paying ‘market rent’.
Lambrook School has just 610 boys and girls aged three to 13 and is mixed so all three children can attend together, cutting down on school runs and security teams.