Prince William returns to public duty as Kate continues cancer treatment

London — Prince William made his first public appearance Thursday since his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, shared her cancer diagnosis last month. Kate, as she's usually known, is undergoing treatment for the unspecified cancer, and William remained out of public view for several weeks to support his wife, but Thursday saw him return to royal business with a visit to food charity.

William met some of the people behind the non-profit group Surplus to Supper, which delivers food that would otherwise have been discarded by stores to the disadvantaged.

Last week, the Prince of Wales was spotted at a private social event, cheering from the stands with his eldest son, Prince George, at an Aston Villa soccer game.

Kate's announcement in a March video that she'd begun a course of "preventative chemotherapy" sparked an outpouring of sympathy from around the world. In Britain, polls show the princess has become the most popular member of the royal family. Her last public appearance was on Christmas Day, when she attended a church service with her family.

The release of the video came after rampant speculation online about Kate's health, with some even suggesting, without any evidence, that she was dealing with issues in her marriage. The conspiracy theories were fueled in part by a manipulated photo that was released by Kensington Palace and attributed to Kate on Britain's Mother's Day.

King Charles III, who's also being treated for an unspecified form of cancer, met well-wishers outside a church on Easter Sunday.

"Keep going strong," said one man in the crowd, "never give in."

Kate, however, has made it clear that she will only return to her royal duties when she's ready.

"We hope that you'll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said in the video. "For now, I must focus on making a full recovery."

In:
• British Royal Family
• William Prince of Wales
• Prince William Duke of Cambridge
• Kate Middleton
• Catherine Princess of Wales

Holly Williams

Holly Williams is a CBS News senior foreign correspondent based in the network's CBS London bureau.

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