Prince William breaks silence with touching remark wishing Princess Kate was 'by his side'
19 March 2024, 14:42 | Updated: 19 March 2024, 15:05
Prince William has broken his silence about the absence of his wife, the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery.
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The Prince of Wales is in Sheffield today as part of his Homewards programme, which aims to battle homelessness across the UK.
Speaking to those who have been affected by homelessness, William made a touching remark, saying Princess Kate should have been by his side.
Holding his hands out, William said: "That's my wife's area, she needs to sit here."
It is William's first public outing since he was pictured with Kate at a farm shop in Windsor over the weekend.
Kate is currently recovering from a pre-planned abdominal surgery, which took place in January.
It is the first time the Prince and Princess of Wales were pictured out and about together since the surgery.
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Kate was seen smiling as she walked alongside William, with shopping bags in hand.
The Princess was seen dressed in leggings and a hoodie in the clip shared with the Sun.
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A witness who spotted the couple earlier told the Sun: "After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there."Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well."
The video was released amid ongoing speculation over Kate's health and whereabouts after she stepped down from public duties while recovering from abdominal surgery.
The princess is not expected to return to public engagements until Easter, having had the operation on January 17.
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There has been a growing number of conspiracy theories popping up online about Kate's whereabouts and condition, especially after Kensington Palace released a Mother's Day photo that had been edited by the Princess of Wales.
Royals fans quickly picked up on a number of inconsistencies in the photo, including items of clothing and floor tiles not lining up properly.
At the same time, there have been growing calls for Kate to be given more privacy as she recovers from her surgery.
Asked about the Princess of Wales pictures this morning on LBC, culture secretary Lucy Frazer said: "She is a remarkable lady and I think we should give her a bit of privacy...at the moment she is recovering from an operation and I think we should respect her privacy."
