(Birmingham, UK) – Prince William and his son Prince George had a father-son night out on Thursday as they attended an Aston Villa soccer match in Birmingham, England.
The match was Prince William's first public appearance since he announced in late March that his wife, Princess Kate of Wales, had been diagnosed with cancer and had begun chemotherapy.
Prince William and George, 10, the eldest of Prince William and Duchess Kate's three children, sat next to each other at the match and cheered on Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over France's Lille.
Prince William reportedly made no public comment on Kate's health at the match, but admitted to a reporter that George is also following in his footsteps as an Aston Villa fan.
When asked by Sunday Paper sportswriter Neal Moxley if George was “part of the pride”, Prince William is said to have replied: “Oh yeah, he loves it.” According to a recording of the exchange Moxley shared with X.
Prince William and Duchess Kate announced in a video message on March 22 that, after undergoing abdominal surgery scheduled for mid-January, cancer was discovered during post-operative tests. Since then, he has stayed away from public life.
The type of cancer has not been disclosed. According to Kensington Palace, Kate started preventive chemotherapy in late February.
At the time of Kate Middleton's announcement, the palace said Prince William would be absent from royal duties during the Easter holidays when his children are away from school. George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, attend Lambrook School, a private school near the family's home in Windsor, England.
Duchess Kate took a hiatus from public life in mid-January when she underwent abdominal surgery, and continues to do so. The princess asked her family for privacy in a message announcing her diagnosis, but the palace said only that she would return to her royal duties once medically cleared.
Prince William, Duchess Kate and their children did not join other members of the royal family, including King Charles III, who is also battling cancer, at the Easter service at St George's Chapel on March 31st.
The Welsh couple are thought to spend much of their time away from the spotlight at their country home in Norfolk, England, Anmer Hall, close to the royal family's Sandringham estate.
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