Prince William is skipping a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, according to Kensington Palace.
“Unfortunately, The Prince of Wales is no longer able to attend the King Constantine Memorial Service this morning due to a personal matter,” the palace informed Us Weekly in a statement on Tuesday, February 27.
While the specific circumstances behind William’s absence were not revealed, the palace clarified that Princess Kate Middleton, who recently underwent abdominal surgery, is still doing well on her path to recovery.
A service for the late King Constantine, who died in January 2023 at the age of 82, will be held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on Tuesday. King Charles III also did not attend for his cousin’s memorial following his recent cancer diagnosis.
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Kensington Palace announced on January 17 that Kate, 42, had a “planned” procedure at The London Clinic. “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,” read a statement shared via X at the time. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
The palace noted that Kate wanted “maintain as much normality for her children as possible” throughout her recovery and that further updates would be provided “when there is significant new information to share.”
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible,” the statement concluded.
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William went on to cancel a handful of appearances out of the country in order to focus on the couple’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly that Kate “may disclose more information” about her surgery “in due course.” According to the insider, William has stepped up to the plate amid his wife’s recovery.
“William is obviously handling a lot, and there’s no denying this is a stressful period for the whole family, but everyone’s pulling together to help,” the source told Us.
Kate returned home from the hospital late last month but has continued to rest. William, meanwhile, carried on with his royal duties, stepping out solo for the 2024 British Academy Film Awards on February 18.
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“I’m sorry Catherine’s not here. She does love the BAFTAs,” he told Elaine Bedell, chief executive of the Southbank Center, at the awards show. (William has been president of the BAFTAs since 2010 and is often accompanied by his wife at the event.)
Along with Kate’s surgery, the royal family is navigating another health scare. Buckingham Palace confirmed on February 5 that Charles, 75, was diagnosed was “a form of cancer” following a routine “procedure for benign prostate enlargement.” (Royal expert Omid Scobie later reported that the king is not battling prostate cancer.)
Days after news broke of his father’s condition, William addressed the public outpouring of support for his family. “We really appreciate everyone’s kindness,” he said while arriving at a gala on February 7.
