Prince William said Thursday that his wife Kate Middleton is improving as she undergoes treatment for cancer, the Washington Examiner reported. The royal said this to a concerned veteran during an event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
The Princess of Wales remains mostly out of the public eye during her treatment, which includes chemotherapy for an unspecified cancer. William made the trip solo to Omaha Beach this week, where he mingled with World War II veterans, as Kate has not returned to her public duties.
One of those in attendance at the event inquired about Kate's health, which elicited the update from the normally tight-lipped prince. "I was going to ask you if your wife was getting any better?" a wheelchair-bound man asked William.
"Yes. She would’ve loved to be here today," William responded.
William and his father, King Charles III, traveled to separate sites in France to mark the occasion of the Allied forces' invasion. Charles toured the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer on his first trip outside of Britain since receiving his own cancer diagnosis.
Kate has been away from royal duties during her illness, and some are now beginning to speculate that her absence may be permanent. The New York Post reported that a source close to the matter said Kate "may never come back in the role that people saw her in before."
"Lots of people involved in planning need to know what all the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate’s diary for this year is empty," the informant on the royal said last month.
"There is nothing planned. She may not appear in public for the rest of the year," the source added.
With the working royals dealing with the one-two punch of twin cancer diagnoses, Prince Harry has resurfaced after years of estrangement from his family. It seems the health struggles have been a wake-up call for Harry who left work as a royal along with his wife Meghan Markle.
Whether it will be enough to reconcile the fractured family is still unknown. "Harry would love to reconnect with Kate," author Christopher Andersen, who penned "The King," told Fox News Digital.
"They were once extremely close, and Harry was hit hard by the news of her cancer diagnosis, which he learned about just the way the rest of us did via Kate's shocking video. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear William is willing to let his brother anywhere near his ailing wife," Andersen said.
"There was just too much drama between the brothers and their wives, and there is lingering bitterness on everyone's part. So, the chances of even a meeting between Harry and the rest of the royal family, much less some sort of reconciliation, seem extremely slim," Andersen added.
Hopefully, William's assessment of his wife's health is closer to the truth than the anonymous sources who seem to contradict him. Kate is a young mother and an important figurehead in Britain, and they all need her well again.
