Prince William and son Prince George have been spotted in public for the first time since Princess Kate made her cancer announcement last month.
The future heirs to the U.K. throne were caught on camera sharing a sweet moment as they applauded their soccer team, Aston Villa. They cheered them on to a 2-1 victory at a home game in the heart of England against French side Lille OSC (LOSC), on Thursday.
This is the first time that young Prince George has attended a public event since Christmas Day. William and wife Kate have been shielding George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, from the recent media furor and speculation surrounding their mother's abdominal surgery and cancer treatment.
William is a long-time supporter of Villa, often spotted at important home club matches in the West Midlands city of Birmingham, increasingly accompanied by George, who is pictured wearing the claret and blue club scarf.
When approached by Newsweek Kensington Palace declined to comment.
The Wales children would traditionally have attended the royal Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle on March 31, however, this year following their mother's health developments, the family was absent.
William, Kate and their children came under a fierce social media spotlight in the first months of 2024, firstly owing to the princess' absence from the public eye following the announcement in January that she had undergone abdominal surgery. Secondly, in the build-up to and aftermath of Kate's announcement on March 22 that she was undergoing chemotherapy and would continue her time away from royal duties.
In a video statement which was watched around the world, Kate provided the public with an update on her health, explaining that while at the time of her surgery in January her condition was not considered to be cancerous, subsequent tests had revealed cancer to be present.
The princess explained her desire to take time in explaining her condition to her children and made a plea for privacy.
"William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," she said.
"As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, 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 OK.
"As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits."
Following the announcement, the Wales family reportedly spent time at their country home next to King Charles III's eastern England Sandringham estate in Norfolk, known as Anmer Hall.
George and William's father-son soccer night out on Thursday is the first time either princes have made a public appearance since Kate's announcement.
As the Wales children's Easter school vacation wraps up, it is expected that William will return to public duties on a reduced scale in order to continue supporting his wife and young family.
William and Kate are due to celebrate their wedding anniversary this month, marking 13 years since their large-scale royal wedding at Westminster Abbey which took place on April 29, 2011.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
