Prince William will continue to prioritize the well-being of his wife and children as he helps his ailing father.
Although the heir to the throne will return to public duties today – after deciding to “clear his schedule” to support the Princess of Wales during and after her operation last month – he is not expected to take on full-time royal duties yet quite.
He will make two public appearances: in the morning he will hold an investiture on behalf of the King at Windsor Castle, followed by a gala dinner in central London in the evening in his role as patron of the London Air Ambulance.
After that, however, he has no further tasks planned this week and will be back with Kate and the children next week during the semester break.
A source said: “The prince has always made it clear that his priority is to support his wife and family for the time being – and he has given no timetable for this.”
“He will return to duty on Wednesday, but you should not expect to see him again for a short time after that.”
Prince William will continue to prioritize the well-being of his wife and children as he helps his ailing father
William will be back with Kate and the children next week during the semester break
William has always made it clear that at this stage of his life, his duty to his family takes precedence over his public role
His team at Kensington Palace are understood to be talking to their counterparts at Buckingham Palace about what public appearances William might take part in in his father's place.
They are likely to attend further investitures and perhaps lead the family at events such as the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey early next month.
However, since His Majesty insists on maintaining a firm grip on the affairs of state during his treatment, it is highly unlikely that the future king will need to take on any constitutional matters.
William, 41, is understood to have his father's “100 per cent” support in returning at his own pace.
A source said: “The King adores Catherine and thinks she is doing a wonderful job. “He understands that family comes first.”
Since his accession to the throne, the king has been spending more and more time at Windsor Castle, often staying there on Sunday evenings to spend more time with his son and young grandchildren, with whom he is becoming increasingly close.
William, who now lives in Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate, just a short walk from the castle, also frequently uses the rooms of the historic royal residence for meetings.
The Princess of Wales was unexpectedly hospitalized last month for what was described as “abdominal surgery”.
She spent two weeks at the London Clinic, where the king also had his prostate surgery, and is unlikely to return to royal duties before Easter.
In the picture, Prince Harry is seen arriving at Clarence House to meet his father
William, 41, is understood to have his father's “100 per cent” support in returning at his own pace
King Charles III leaves Clarence House by car in London today
The Royal Helicopter that brought King Charles and Queen Camilla to Sandringham
King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen leaving Clarence House today
Aides said at the time that her husband had canceled all upcoming engagements to be by her side and support their children Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.
Although they didn't give a timeline, sources suggested the prince would be staying with them in Windsor for “several weeks.”
William has always made it clear that at this stage of his life, his duty to his family takes precedence over his public role.
However, it is unusual for three senior members of the royal family to be out of action at the same time, particularly now that the king is likely to be away for longer than planned, meaning there will be few working members of the royal family.
And that means there will inevitably be more pressure on the future king to rise.
At today's investiture, William will present more than 50 honors, including one to former England footballer Ellen White, 34.
In the evening he will attend the London Air Ambulance's annual fundraising gala in central London. He has been a patron of the charity since 2020.
The dinner is being held in support of the charity's biggest fundraising campaign to date, which aims to raise £15 million to replace its fleet of helicopters.
William is due to give a speech and is expected to publicly acknowledge his father's illness for the first time and possibly thank well-wishers.