The Prince of Wales said he was thankful for \u201cthe kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While his father, King Charles, has been sick with cancer, this was the first time Prince William spoke in public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At an event to raise money for London\u2019s Air Ambulance, the prince said, \u201cIt means a great deal to us all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was also actor Tom Cruise as a guest. The prince told Cruise not to \u201cborrow\u201d any of the planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though it was funny, Prince William laughed about the event for his return to official duties. This was because his father\u2019s illness and his wife Catherine\u2019s recovery from abdominal surgery had been all over the news about the Royal Family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buckingham Palace reception\/Flickr
\u201cIt\u2019s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather \u2018medical\u2019 focus. So I thought I\u2019d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!\u201d said the prince.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, he did not say anything else about how the King or Catherine were doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Prince William used to be an air ambulance pilot, he talked about how the emergency service needs new planes and how \u201ctruly life-saving difference it can make.\u201d The charity is currently trying to raise \u00a315 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that Tom Cruise would be a surprise guest at the charity gala, which was held at a hotel in Westminster. The prince hoped that this wouldn\u2019t be bad for the helicopters that are used for medical situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you wouldn\u2019t mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next Mission Impossible, it would be appreciated,\u201d said Prince William.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have all seen on our screens that, how can I put it, you seem to have a different take on normal wear and tear to the rest of us,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was an investiture event at Windsor Castle earlier that same day that the Prince of Wales led.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Broadfoot, founder of SOS Kit Aid, was one of the people honored. His organization sends used sports gear to poor people all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prince was also seen talking with Ellen Convery, who used to be known as Ellen White and played more than 100 games for the England women\u2019s football team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After being away from public tasks for three weeks while Catherine, Princess of Wales, had surgery, Prince William is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Palace insiders say that Prince William has been spending a lot of time with his wife and kids, but he is also going to public events now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The King will still be head of state as required by law, but he will not be attending public events while he gets treatment. The type of cancer he has been diagnosed with has not been made public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if nothing had changed, an official message from the King was posted on the Royal Family\u2019s website on Wednesday. It was the first message from him since it was announced that he has cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s an official greeting to Grenada on their 50th anniversary of becoming independent, and it doesn\u2019t say anything about the King\u2019s health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The usual meetings between the King and the prime minister will still happen in person. The next one is set for two weeks from now. Rishi Sunak and the King had a \u201cbrief personal call\u201d on the phone on Wednesday before that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Monday, the King went to Sandringham in Norfolk. On Tuesday, he met briefly with his son Prince Harry, who had come from California to see him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He drove to Buckingham Palace to get a plane to Sandringham. It was the first time anyone had seen him in public since his diagnosis was made public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports say that the meeting between Prince Harry and the King lasted less than an hour. On Wednesday, Prince Harry was seen at Heathrow airport, likely on his way back to the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the problems that were written about in Prince Harry\u2019s memoir Spare, there were no signs that his friendship with Prince William would get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources said that there were no plans for the brothers to meet since Prince Harry had already arrived in London.<\/p>\n