The U.K.’s Prince William returned to official royal duties Wednesday for the first time since his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer.
He visited Surplus to Supper, a nonprofit organization that converts leftover food into meals for those without.
The prince had stepped back to care for Catherine (née Kate Middleton) and their children as she undergoes “preventative chemotherapy.” She announced her cancer diagnosis last month after weeks of absence from public life amid recovery from a “planned abdominal surgery.”
“New volunteer started this morning!” proclaimed Surplus to Supper on its social media feed, captioning a photo of the heir to the British throne emerging from a van.
As he toured the facility — and even chopped some vegetables — the prince was greeted by volunteers, including a woman who handed him get-well greeting cards for the Princess of Wales and for King Charles, who is also undergoing cancer treatment.
Heir to help…Prince William prepares food in the Surplus to Supper kitchen with chef Mario pic.twitter.com/dGlpYi09Fr
— Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) April 18, 2024
“Oh, some cards, you’re very kind. Thank you very much,” the prince could be heard telling 71-year-old volunteer Rachel Candappa as he accepted the offering, in a video by ITV reporter Lizzie Robinson.
Candappa told him to look after his wife, and he reportedly put his hand on her shoulder and said, “I will.”
Prince William’s appearance at Surplus to Supper came about a week after he returned to social media for the first time since Kate’s announcement, with a comment on the retirement of a British soccer star last Wednesday.
He also posted about his visit to the organization, whose mission is to bridge the gap between food waste and food need.
He capped his outing with a trip to one of the group’s beneficiaries, a youth center in West London, where he insisted on hand-delivering the crates packed with food, People reported.
