Prince William to Return to Royal Duties for First Time Since Kate Middleton's Cancer Revelation

Prince William is stepping out later this week for his first official duty since his wife Kate Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis.

The Prince of Wales, 41, has been helping look after the couple’s three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — while they are on school vacation and caring for Princess Kate, 42, as she undergoes her treatment.

When Kate made her announcement, sources told PEOPLE that William would return to public royal duties after the children returned to school (term starts on April 17) in a balanced, measured way, tempered by the needs of Kate and his family.

On April 18, he will do this by highlighting the work of community and environmental organizations in southwest London and Surrey, his office at Kensington Palace announced on April 16. Prince William will begin the day in Sunbury-on-Thames to see how a food distribution charity called Surplus to Supper delivers, sorts and repackages unused food to community groups.

Afterward, he will visit a youth center in West London which receives regular deliveries of the surplus food and distributes it to those in need.

The day showcases his desire to build a waste-free world, which is a key template for the prince's environmental Earthshot Prize. Tackling food waste and using surplus food is also something that his father, King Charles, has spotlighted since his coronation in 2023.

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The events mark Prince William's first official royal outing since Princess Kate’s shocking video message on March 22, in which she revealed she was undergoing cancer treatment. The family began their Easter vacation shortly afterward and were not with the other members of the royal family as they celebrated Easter Sunday at Windsor Castle on March 31.

In her video message announcing her health news, Kate said that her husband of nearly 13 years was "a great source of comfort and reassurance."

"This is about supporting her and her feeling supported. It is a joint effort. She doesn’t feel isolated at all," a family friend told PEOPLE.

As the couple cope with the situation, they are receiving valuable help from her family too. Princess Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, have been helping with the children's school drop-offs when classes are on. In a sign that she was visiting with the couple, William also joined his mother-in-law, 69, at a local pub during the Easter vacation.

"Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren," a palace insider has previously told PEOPLE.

On April 11, Prince William took his eldest son, George, and a friend to watch their favorite soccer team, Aston Villa. After the game, which the Birmingham-based team won 2-1, William confirmed his son was following in his footsteps as a Villa fan. The Prince of Wales was asked if Prince George was now “part of the pride," a phrase Villa supporters use to describe their team’s followers.

“Oh yes, he’s loving it,” William replied, according to sports journalist Neil Moxley, who shared the exchange on X (formerly Twitter).

Prince William and Princess Kate did return to social media during their vacation to express their sadness and show their support for Australians caught up in a stabbing attack in a Sydney shopping mall that killed six people.