Prince William Breaks Social Media Silence to Share Personal Message

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Prince William, Prince Of Wales waves as he attends London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner, where he will meet crew members, former patients and supporters, before delivering a short speech on February 07, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Prince William broke his social media silence on Wednesday, April 10, to send a sweet personal message to British soccer star Rachel Daly upon her retirement from international competition.

The post marked the Prince of Wales’ first social media message since his wife, Kate Middleton, announced her cancer diagnosis in late March.

Daly, a forward for England and Aston Villa, told fans that while she “would love nothing more than to play for England forever,” it is now time for her “to hang my boots up on the international stage.”

“While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also one filled with reflection and immense gratitude,” the 32-year-old athlete wrote in a lengthy statement reflecting on her eight years playing for England’s national football team. “Playing for and representing England has been a privilege,” she added.

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Daly shared her statement in a post on X, writing, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Kensington Palace’s official X account later retweeted her post with an added personal message from the prince.

“Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @RachelDaly3,” the prince’s message said. “Plenty more goals for Villa now!” The post signed off with a “W,” an indication that the message came directly from the prince.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been mostly silent since Middleton informed the world about her cancer diagnosis in a March 22 video message. The announcement was believed to have been timed for release right before her three children began their Easter holiday break so that the family of five could get some distance from public speculation about the princess’ health.

In her announcement, Middleton revealed that cancer was discovered following a planned abdominal surgery she underwent in mid-January. Though she has not confirmed what type of cancer she is battling, the princess told the public that she did begin a preventative chemotherapy treatment upon the recommendation of her medical team.

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