Prince William stepped out solo in Cornwall for his first overnight trip since Princess Kate Middleton‘s cancer diagnosis.
William, 41, arrived in the southwest of England on Thursday, May 9, visiting the site of a new housing project in Newquay. The project was announced earlier this year and will feature 24 living spaces for people experiencing homelessness. Designed by local architects, the temporary homes offer opportunities to find permanent housing. Construction is set to begin this fall.
For his outing on Thursday, William sported a crisp navy suit with a pale blue button-down shirt. He smiled widely as he met with coordinators of the innovative housing project.
William and Kate, 42, inherited the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Thursday marked the first time William has visited Cornwall since taking on the new role.
Kate did not accompany her husband as she continues her recovery. She revealed in March that she’d been diagnosed with cancer after being hospitalized for an abdominal surgery several months prior. Her last official royal engagement was in December 2023.
Throughout Kate’s health woes, William briefly took a step back from his own duties. Before her diagnosis was made public, an insider exclusively told Us Weekly that William “canceled two out of the country appearances” in order to tackle “more of the childcare duties” at home following Kate’s procedure.
Along with visiting Newquay, William is set to spend his first night away from London amid Kate’s recovery, traveling to the Isles of Scilly on Friday, May 10, to meet with hospital staff and operators of St Mary’s Harbour.
While William has slowly gotten back into the swing of his busy work schedule, Deadline reported on Wednesday, May 8, that he and Kate are expected to skip the upcoming BAFTA TV Awards. Instead of attending the ceremony, William will record a video message to be played during the event on Sunday, May 12.
William, who serves as BAFTA president, previously stepped out for the organization’s film awards in February without Kate by his side weeks after her surgery.
“I’m sorry Catherine’s not here. She does love the BAFTAs,” he told Elaine Bedell, chief executive of the Southbank Center, at the time.
When it comes to Kate’s return to royal duties, Buckingham Palace previously stated that the timing is up to her doctors. “The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery,” read a March statement, which noted that William “will continue to balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.”
