Prince William breaks his silence on King Charles’ cancer diagnosis

Prince William returned to his royal duties Wednesday after briefly stepping back to look after his wife Kate Middleton as she recovers from abdominal surgery.

The 41-year-old Prince of Wales attended a gala fundraising dinner for London’s Air Ambulance Charity where he also addressed photographers for the first time since Buckingham Palace announced his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis.

“We really appreciate everyone’s kind messages,” he said. “Thank you.”

Inside at the podium, William added, “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind of messages of support for Catherine and my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all.”

“The past few weeks have a rather medical focus, so I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all,” he joked.

William socialized with “Top Gun: Maverick” star Tom Cruise. The men seemed to admire each other’s black-tie wear as they both opted for a bowtie.

Presenter Tana Bryer also told William from the stage that they are all sending good wishes to the king.

Cruise, 61, attended the funeral for William’s mom, Princess Diana, in 1997. As an avid helicopter pilot, he befriended the the late Queen Elizabeth II, flying into Windsor Castle for lunch with her just months before her death in September 2022.

The “Mission Impossible” star appeared at the queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in February 2022 but she did not get to meet him due to her mobility issues.

“The queen let it be known that she was really disappointed not to have met Tom at the pageant, so he was invited to have a special tour of Windsor Castle with everything laid on for him. Afterwards, just the two of them had tea together,” a source said at the time.

“She loved seeing him and they really hit it off, so much so that she invited him back for lunch. He was even allowed to fly in by helicopter,” the source added.

Cruise also spoke about his admiration for the queen that May before appearing as part of the Platinum Jubilee’s Gallop Through History equine pageant.

“She’s just a woman that I greatly admire. I think she is someone who has tremendous dignity and I admire her devotion. What she has accomplished has been historic,” he said at the time.

Earlier Wednesday, William performed an investiture ceremony, one of his regular duties, at Windsor Castle.

His estranged brother, Prince Harry, flew back home to California on Wednesday after he rushed to be by Charles’ side amidst His Majesty’s cancer diagnosis.

Harry, 38, met up with Charles at Clarence House during his 24-hour visit across the pond but did not reunite with William. Meanwhile, Charles reportedly “desperately wants” to reconcile with Harry, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl.

Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020. The former “Suits” actress and the couple’s two kids Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2, stayed home in the Golden State during Harry’s recent visit.

The red-headed royal reportedly stayed at a swanky London hotel to show the royal family that he is capable of “supporting himself” financially, according to King Charles’ former butler. This power move comes after Charles famously stripped Harry and Meghan of their right to tax-funded police protection after they left the royal family.