William thanks public in first comments since King's cancer diagnosis

Many cancer patients will recognise the way King Charles was diagnosed - it is known as an incidental diagnosis, when the disease is spotted during care for another condition.

To recap: the King, 75, went in for treatment for an enlarged prostate - and during that procedure, the signs of cancer were spotted, leading to the diagnosis made public on Monday.

This route to diagnosis is surprisingly common. While there is a big focus on screening programmes and urgent referrals from GPs, one in five cancers is actually diagnosed when patients are being seen for something else, according to Macmillan Cancer Support analysis of NHS data.

Over the past 12 months, 66,000 cancers have been diagnosed and treated through this route.

But where the experience of the public differs from that of the King is how quickly all this happens. He was admitted to a private hospital, for treatment for the enlarged prostate, less than two weeks ago and has already started cancer treatment.

The NHS target is for cancer treatment to start within 62 days of the disease being suspected. But over the past year, one out of every four patients diagnosed incidentally in England waited longer.

And the waiting time has gradually lengthened during the past decade or so.

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A former air ambulance pilot himself, Prince William also spoke tonight of the need for new helicopters to support this emergency service and the "truly life-saving difference it can make" - as the charity runs an appeal to raise £15m.

He name-checked Tom Cruise as a surprise guest at the charity gala, held at a hotel in Westminster, but the prince hoped it wouldn't be bad news for the helicopters used for such medical emergencies.

"If you wouldn't mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next Mission Impossible, it would be appreciated," said Prince William.

"We have all seen on our screens that, how can I put it, you seem to have a different take on normal wear and tear to the rest of us," he said.

Speaking at tonight's London Air Ambulance gala, Prince William has again expressed his gratitude for "the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days", adding: "It means a great deal to us all."

Hollywood star Tom Cruise was also a guest, with the prince asking him not to "borrow" any of the helicopters.

With some irony, Prince William joked about the nature of the event for this return to official duties, after news about the Royal Family had been dominated by his father's illness and his wife Catherine's recovery from abdominal surgery.

"It's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather 'medical' focus. So I thought I'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!" said the prince.

But he gave no further details of how either the King or Catherine were progressing.

The prevalence of cancer has been discussed widely since the King's diagnosis was announced.

He's one of around 1,000 people in the UK who are diagnosed with cancer on any given day, and stands among the three million people currently living with the disease.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men in the UK, though we've been told this isn't the King's diagnosis. For women, it's breast cancer.

Lung and bowel cancers are the next most common to be diagnosed.

The NHS tells us that some signs of cancer include a lump that suddenly appears on your body, unexplained bleeding and/or changes to your bowel habits. There are plenty of other symptoms, too, so if anything is concerning you, you should check in with your GP.

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Let's get you back up to speed with the latest.

• Prince William has thanked the public for their messages of support in his first such comments since it was announced that his father had been diagnosed with a form of cancer
• Speaking to the BBC as he arrived for a fundraiser for the London Air Ambulance, the heir to the throne said: "We really appreciate everyone's kind messages, thank you"
• Earlier, William carried out his first public royal duty since his wife Catherine underwent abdominal surgery last month
• Prince Harry - who travelled from Los Angeles to London to meet his father on Tuesday - was earlier spotted at Heathrow again, and was thought to be travelling back to the US. He did not see his brother William during his 24-hour visit to the UK
• Buckingham Palace said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would wish the King well in a "brief personal call", and that their regular in-person meetings were expected to resume later this month
• In Parliament, today’s session of Prime Minister's Questions began with Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn extending their well wishes to the King

• Both the King and Queen Camilla are thought to currently be resting at Sandringham

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We're continuing to see some of the first photos of Prince William's second royal public duty since returning to work today.

Also in attendance at tonight's London Air Ambulance Charity event was none other than actor Tom Cruise, who was seen enthusiastically greeting the Prince of Wales at the gala dinner.

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As Prince William continues with his return to royal duties, his second event today is a charity fundraising event for the London Air Ambulance. The Prince of Wales has been a patron of the charity since 2020.

He is expected to deliver a brief speech at the event.

Here is Prince William, arriving at the The Black and White Gala Ball.

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While Prince William is back at work today, it's expected that Catherine may not be back to official duties until after Easter.

The Princess of Wales is recovering in Windsor after a planned abdominal surgery that took place last month.

The 42-year-old spent almost two weeks at a private hospital in central London before returning home.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said at the time of the princess's release that she would continue her recovery at home and that she "is making good progress".

It is understood her return to official duties will depend on medical advice nearer the time.

The exact details of the princess’s condition have not been revealed but the Palace said previously it was not cancer related.

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In a few hours, we're expecting to hear from Prince William when he delivers a brief speech at a charity event in London.

The Black and White Gala Ball is being held in support of the London Air Ambulance charity, of which the Prince of Wales has been a patron since 2020. The prince himself served as a pilot in the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017.

The London Air Ambulance service has a team of advanced trauma doctors and paramedics who ferry seriously injured patients by helicopter or rapid response car to hospitals across London.

Buckingham Palace has been clarifying what’s happening with the prime minister’s regular meetings with the King.

Today's conversation has been described as a “brief personal call” on the phone between Rishi Sunak and King Charles - in which PM might presumably wish the King well for his treatment. It isn’t an official audience.

The next scheduled audience is on 21 February, which the Palace says will be “in-person” - rather than on the phone or by video call.

That suggests that part of the head of state’s role will be running as usual in a fortnight’s time.

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Updates have been reaching us throughout the day from Windsor Castle, Parliament and Heathrow Airport. Here's everything you need to know heading into the evening.

• Prince Harry - who travelled from Los Angeles to London to meet his father on Tuesday - was spotted at Heathrow again. He did not see his brother William during his 24-hour visit to the UK

• Prince William has resumed his regular royal duties, starting this morning with an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. He made Ellen Convery - formerly known as Ellen White - an MBE

• This morning's event was the first public royal duty that William has undertaken since his wife underwent an abdominal surgery last month. Later tonight, he will travel to London for an air ambulance gala dinner

• In Parliament, today’s session of Prime Minister's Questions began with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the SNP's Stephen Flynn extending their well wishes to the King

• Downing Street said Sunak would be speaking to Charles by phone. The pair typically speak in person each week
• Both the King and Queen Camilla are thought to currently be resting at Sandringham after they travelled to the royal estate on Tuesday

The Royal Family has offered its support to cancer charities following the King's diagnosis.

On X - formerly Twitter - Buckingham Palace has reposted a call from Macmillan Cancer Support for people worried they might have cancer to contact their GP.

"We hope that by sharing his diagnosis so publicly, His Majesty The King will encourage others to reach out for support if they are concerned about cancer," the Macmillan post read. "If you have any potential signs or symptoms you're worried about, speak to your GP to get them checked."

The King is patron of the charity.

The Palace also retweeted a post by charity Maggie's on ways to support someone with cancer.

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While Prince William and Princess Anne have been shouldering some of the family's official engagements throughout the day, King Charles remains at the royal estate in Sandringham.

Both King Charles and Queen Camilla travelled to the Norfolk estate yesterday by helicopter, a journey that is approximately 100 miles (160km) north of Clarence House, the King's London home.

It's unclear how long the King plans to stay at the sprawling 20,000-acre estate, but it's not uncommon for members of the royal family to hunker down at the country home to escape the spotlight or rest after undergoing treatment.

The King's late mother, Elizabeth II, was known to frequent the holiday hideaway when recovering from her own hospital stays.

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While Prince William spent the morning stepping back into royal duties, Princess Anne has also had a busy day of engagements.

The Princess Royal has met troops from the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Munitions and Search (DEMS) Training Regiment based at St George's Barracks in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

These specialised troops have the responsibility of training servicepeople in search, disposal and storage techniques required to keep others safe from explosives.

While watching the troops in training exercises, the princess also met what appeared to be a very friendly service dog.

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With the King stepping away from public duties and the Princess of Wales recovering from abdominal surgery, could we see lesser-known royals taking on more engagements?

What we do know is that the Duke of Gloucester - cousin of the late Elizabeth II - has today been visiting a school and National Trust garden in Surrey. Last year, he carried out 172 royal engagements, according to the Telegraph.

Meanwhile, his wife the Duchess of Gloucester took on 117 in 2023, and the Duke of Kent took on 69, the paper says.

Previously, it had been suggested the King wanted a "slimmed down" monarchy, which included reducing the number of working royals. But as the Princess Royal put it in an interview last year, that idea was originally proposed "when there were a few more people around".

Princess Anne added: "It doesn't sound like a good idea from where I'm standing, I would say. I'm not quite sure what else we can do."

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Prince Harry is leaving the UK and heading home to California, after a whirlwind visit to see his father. Here's a look back at his 24-hour trip:

• The Duke of Sussex arrived at London's Heathrow airport on Tuesday afternoon, and was later pictured in a black SUV at Clarence House - his father the King's London residence
• His wife Meghan did not make the trip, remaining in the US with their two children
• Prince Harry is said to have spent a fleeting 45-minutes with King Charles yesterday
• He did not meet his brother William - with whom he has had a strained relationship in recent years
• The Daily Mail reported that Harry did not stay at one of the royal properties, and instead spent the night at a luxury hotel
• He seems to have kept a low profile on his brief trip, having been spotted back at Heathrow for the flight back to Los Angeles a little while ago