Prince William Attends Royal Engagement Solo After Being Spotted With Kate Middleton in Windsor
Prince William is returning his focus to his royal duties after stepping out with Princess Kate Middleton.
William, 41, traveled solo to Sheffield, England, on Tuesday, March 19, with The Royal Foundation's Homewards Programme. He announced during his visit that in an effort to address homelessness, more than $1 million is being donated by one of his partners in the Homewards initiative.
When the program was launched last summer, Homebase pledged to provide up to 1,500 "Home Starter Packs," which can include items such as paint, furniture, flooring and furnishings to help individuals settle into their new homes comfortably.
William started his visit by meeting with parents, caregivers and young adults from local families who have faced housing insecurity and homelessness. The Prince of Wales was joined by campaigner and influencer Kwajo Tweneboa, who opened up about his own experience with homelessness and housing insecurity.
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“Involving those with lived experience throughout the creation and delivery of Homewards is one of the program’s guiding principles, with co-creation of homelessness solutions recognized as critical best practice in ensuring initiatives have lasting impact,” William's office at Kensington Palace said in a statement about the endeavor.
While William carried on his engagement without Kate, 42, the couple were spotted at the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday, March 16, amid speculation about the princess’ wellbeing. The pair, who share kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, were seen in good spirits as they stopped at the store, which is close to their Windsor residence.
Video footage from the outing was published by TMZ on Monday, March 18, marking the first time Kate was seen walking since her abdominal surgery earlier this year. Her last official appearance was in December 2023 during the royal family’s annual walk to Christmas Day church service in Sandringham.
One month later, Kensington Palace revealed that the Princess of Wales underwent a “planned" procedure and would be postponing royal appearances for several months.
"The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery," the palace wrote via X. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
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William, meanwhile, took a brief break from public duties to help Kate recover before resuming his royal engagements later that month.
As questions arose about Kate’s health, King Charles III was treated for an enlarged prostate in January and subsequently diagnosed with cancer. Charles, 75, has continued to carry out some official duties while receiving treatment.
Despite widespread theories being spread online, Kate's rep insisted that details about her procedure would remain private for the time being.
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson told Us Weekly in a statement in February. “That guidance stands.”
Prior to her weekend outing with William, Kate was photographed several times this month, but the blurry images only prompted more questions. She was spotted on March 4 sitting in the passenger’s seat of the vehicle with her mother, Carole Middleton. One week later, Kate was seen leaving Windsor Castle with William, but her face was turned away from the camera.
While celebrating Mother's Day in the U.K. on March 10, Kate shared a photo of herself and her children, with the Instagram caption confirming the snap was taken this year. Multiple news outlets later received a notice to “kill” the photo and remove it from publication because the portrait appeared to have been “manipulated” by the source.
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Kate addressed the photo editing scandal in a statement, writing via X on March 11, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”
According to a source, Kate's continued decision to stay out of the public eye came as a surprise even to those closest to her.
“A few of Kate’s senior staffers haven’t been able to see or speak to her, and they didn’t even know about the surgery until it was announced, so it’s caught them off guard," an insider shared exclusively with Us.
