Prince William did not respond to a question about how the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, is faring as she continues to recover from abdominal surgery.
According to a video obtained by the Daily Mail, a person in the crowd asked the Prince of Wales, 41, “How’s Catherine?” during his arrival at the Wrexham AFC stadium on Friday, March 1. William did not address the question and continued walking.
However, when asked by another fan if the royal had time to take a “selfie,” William replied, “Can I say hello to the team? I’ll come back.”
William made the appearance solo as the Princess of Wales, 42, continues to be on the mend from her surgery that took place in January. William has attended several events without his wife in the past three months, including the BAFTAs and this recent trip to Wales.
In addition to his trip to the soccer stadium, William also paid a visit to a Welsh elementary school to celebrate St. David’s Day. The children gifted the royal some stuffed animals for his and Kate’s children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. They also presented William with a large flower bouquet, presumably for Kate.
“I’ll pass those on to Catherine, as well,” said William while thanking the students for showing him around. “You all seem very happy, very smart.”
Kensington Palace originally announced that Kate would not be participating in any royal engagements following her “planned” procedure but remains private about her health condition.
“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 the palace’s official X account. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”
Kate has not done an official royal appearance since Christmas Day 2023 and social media has gone into a frenzy speculating why she’s been out of commission for the extended period. However, the princess’ rep shut down any theories.
“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” a spokesperson for the royal told Us Weekly in a statement in February. “That guidance stands.”
On Monday, March 4, Kate was spotted for the first time in a car alongside her mother, Carole Middleton, per photos obtained by TMZ.
William took a month off from his duties to help look after his wife. However, the prince raised eyebrows after he did not attend the memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, due to a “personal matter.” While the palace didn’t expand on the reasoning, they clarified that Kate was still doing well on her path to recovery.
