Prince of Wales given 'get well soon cards' for King and Kate on charity visit
Prince William has not conducted an official public engagement since his wife revealed her cancer diagnosis in March, ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports
The Prince of Wales has received 'get with soon cards' for the King and the Princess of Wales during his first public engagement since his wife's cancer diagnosis.
Prince William showed his appreciation when he received the handwritten cards for his father and his wife from a volunteer at the food, distribution charity Surplus to Supper, in Surrey, on Thursday.
Rachel Candappa told ITV News she had "spent ages last night thinking of what to write in her message inside" and after she handed over he cards, William said: “Thank you very much, that’s kind.”
During the exchange, Ms Candappa can be heard telling the prince to "look after" Kate, to which he responds with "I will".
The prince, who has returned from his Easter break, appeared in good spirits as he was seen smiling and shaking hands with volunteers from the organisation.
William then leant a hand with chopping celery for one of the meals being prepared in the charity's kitchen, which redirects food and non-food items away from landfills and distributes it to local charities and those in food poverty in Surrey and West London.
After the visit he is due to travel to a youth centre in west London which benefits from the organisation’s deliveries.
William has not conducted an official public engagement since March 19, when he visited Sheffield to promote his Homewards homelessness campaign.
The 41-year-old has spent the past three-and-a-half weeks with his wife and children for the Easter holidays, as the family took time away from the public to process Kate’s diagnosis.
William was last seen taking his eldest son Prince George to an Aston Villa football match last week, watching his club beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in his first public outing since Kate’s announcement.
Kate chose to make her cancer diagnosis public in March in a video message to the nation. The video's release followed intense speculation about the princess's health.
In the video, she said: "I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.
"It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay."
Kate's cancer was discovered in post-operative tests following abdominal surgery she underwent in January.
Her cancer diagnosis was announced shortly after King Charles III had made public his own.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace at the time said that Charles was "wholly positive" about his treatment.
The King has since been carrying out some low-key official duties behind palace walls as he continues his recovery.
This is the Royal Rota - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson