The UK’s Prince William has made his first public comments since his wife, the Princess of Wales, announced her cancer diagnosis. William broke his silence by congratulating Rachel Daly on her retirement from England’s women’s soccer team, the Lionesses. The soccer fan and future British King thanked Daly for her “unforgettable performances” with the Lionesses and signed off the tweet with the letter “W,” indicating that he wrote the message.
The Prince has not appeared publicly or posted to social media since his wife Catherine announced a cancer diagnosis in February. The Princess was the center of online conspiracy theories after she vanished from public life last December. Some people speculated that she had left her husband or even died, but she appeared on a video in March explaining her absence. The Princess explained that she had undergone abdominal surgery, during which doctors discovered cancer. The prominent Royal said she had started chemotherapy treatment and was “getting stronger every day.”
Public polling after the announcement found that the already beloved Princess had been elevated to the most popular member of the Royal family. A YouGov poll between February and April revealed that Catherine had surpassed her husband and the King and become the public’s favorite.
The poll placed the Princess of Wales in first place at 76%, her husband in second place at 73%, and the King’s sister, Princess Anne, in third place at 71%. The King is favored by 63% of the British population, with his wife Camilla on 50%. Prince Wiliam’s brother Prince Harry, once hugely popular in his home country, has slipped to 31%. Prince Andrew, the King’s brother, who was stripped of Royal titles following accusations that he abused trafficked girls in the company of financier Jeffrey Epstein, is admired by a mere 6%.
Weeks before Catherine’s cancer diagnosis announcement, King Charles III reported that he, too, was suffering from the disease. Royal analysts say the dual diagnoses have brought Charles and Catherine closer together.
