Prince William beamed in delight today as he was seen for the first time since his wife revealed she has finished her chemotherapy, but added ‘there’s still a long way to go’.
The Prince of Wales, 42, who again was sporting stubble, looked cheerful as he met with fans outside a primary school in Llanelli, west Wales.
Well-wishers waited in the chilly 16C weather to give their love to Prince William and the Princess of Wales.
Crowds had waited patiently for hours to greet the future king after the announcement that Kate was cancer free.
After receiving an avalanche of love and support, he told Pauline Thomas, 74: ‘It’s good news but there is still a long way to go.’
His visit came less than 24 hours after the Princess of Wales, 42, revealed in an intimate family video message that she had completed her course of chemotherapy after an ‘incredibly tough’ nine months.
She said she planned to make a gradual return to royal duties but that her focus was on remaining ‘cancer free’.
Diane Griffiths told him: ‘It was so good to see Catherine looking well, you have a beautiful family.’ She said he had replied in Welsh, Diolch, meaning thank you.
Royal fan Sandra Peters, 79, said: ‘I told him, Bore da [Welsh for good morning], you have a beautiful family, I’m so pleased Kate is recovering. He said “thank you very much”. He was lovely, he’s so charming.’
She said: ‘I just wrote I’m so happy you’re in recovery. I’m just a little old lady from Swiss Valley Park. I admire your bravery, your family is all so beautiful.’
Footage shows fans saying it was ‘so nice’ to see ‘Catherine’ which William replied ‘thank you so much’.
Another gushed she had ‘just touched the Prince’ as he shook hands with dozens of well-wishers who told him he has ‘the most beautiful family’. One person gave him an envelope addressed to ‘Our Beautiful Princess of Wales’.
Maria Derrick, 63, attended Kate and William’s wedding in London, and Prince Charles’ coronation. She said: ‘I’ve just had Covid for 10 days but had to get better to be here.
Alan Evans met him with granddaughter Genevieve sitting on his shoulders. Alan said: ‘I told him, we all have our burdens. He replied, yes “watch your neck”! He’s a charming man.’
Sandra and friend Jane Stoneman, 61, both gave him letters to pass on to Kate. Jane said: ‘He’s so handsome and beautiful. We’re so lucky to have him.’
Aleena Haider, 30, a cardiologist at Hammersmith Hospital, travelled 200 miles from London to see the Prince. She grew up in Swiss Valley and was a pupil at the school and her mother still lives nearby.
Aleena said: ‘It’s a feeling of pride that Prince William is coming to see the school. It’s nice to have the recognition for the teachers and parents who make it such a nice place. We all loved Diana as well.’
Barry Wilkins, 54, a removals man, put a giant statue of a dragon on his front lawn to welcome the Prince.
He said: ‘I’m just so glad Kate is getting well again, I’m happy for their family. William is our Prince of Wales so I wanted to show our support with the dragon.’
Prince William is visiting Swiss Valley Primary School and later met with the Welsh Air Ambulance crews and then the local Llanelli rugby team, the Scarlets.
Jane Stoneman’s dad Aubrey Gale captained the Scarlets between 1961-2. She wrote a letter to give to the Princess.
Jane, 61, said: ‘I’ve written a get well card, how pleased I am to see she’s getting better and how much we all love her and how beautiful she is and her family.’
William, 42, was at Swiss Valley Community Primary School in Llanelli to meet pupils who took part in a major Welsh language youth festival, among them ten-year-old winner Ruby Davies, whose joyful reaction following her triumph went viral.
He revealed he had Duo Lingo, the language learning app, and was trying to learn Welsh ‘phonetically’.
Ruby gave the Prince some friendship bracelets that she had made for his children. ‘That’s so sweet,’ he told her. ‘Did you put them together yourself? They’re going to wear those, you’ll see them out and about.’
He added: ‘I’ll keep them away from Louis because he’ll try and steal all his sister’s bits.’
The Prince told Ruby he had watched her video ‘several times’, adding: ‘Charlotte loves her performing and dancing as well so I going to show her your video when I get home.’
The visit was the first of three engagements the Prince is undertaking in South Wales on Tuesday to celebrate Welsh sport and culture.
Still sporting his summer beard, he received a warm welcome on arrival in the school hall, where the children cheered loudly and waved Welsh flags.
