Prince William Steps Out for First Time Since Kate Middleton's Cancer Remission Announcement

The Prince of Wales was announced as the patron of the College of Paramedics at his first outing of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 15

Prince William is attending his first royal engagement since Kate Middleton's announced that she's in "remission" from cancer.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Prince of Wales, 42, was announced as the new patron of the College of Paramedics and attended its inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference in Birmingham, England.

The summit is dedicated to supporting emergency responders in making effective decisions under pressure, which is something William has a personal connection to following his service as a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot and with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The mental health of first responders is a cause close to his heart. 

Related: Kate Middleton Thanks Those Who ‘Walked Alongside’ Her and William During Cancer Journey in Personal Message Signed 'C'

The Prince first met with leaders of the College of Paramedics and the conference's speakers, as well as paramedics from a range of fields. The College was established in 2001 as a membership organization for all paramedics registered with the Health and Care Professions Council of the U.K., student paramedics and those interested in the paramedic profession, with a cohort of over 20,000 members today.

In February 2024, the group was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation from King Charles, Prince William's father.

William then moved to tune into two summit sessions about trauma critical care and techniques used during Search and Rescue helicopter missions. Later, he is due to give a brief speech.

It was a poignant duty for William to start the year with and came one day after Kate announced that she was in "remission" from cancer. The Princess of Wales, 43, shared the news about her health following an unannounced visit to The Royal Marsden Hospital in London. 

The stop coincided with the confirmation that Kate underwent treatment for cancer at The Royal Marsden and that she was joining her husband as a patron of the renowned cancer center, after he followed in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana by becoming a patron in 2007.

During Tuesday's visit, Kate spent time speaking with patients and staff at the medical center and referenced her own experience with candor ("I recognize that beep!" Kate said about a machine indicating that a patient needed treatment, the Daily Mail reported.)

Related: Kate Middleton Reflects on Family Life During Cancer Treatment: 'It’s Just Trying to Do the Best'

The Princess announced in March 2024 that she was receiving treatment for cancer and stepped outside of the public eye for most of the following months. In September, she shared with "relief" that she had completed chemotherapy.

Her exact diagnosis remains undisclosed and on Tuesday she thanked The Royal Marsden team for the care they gave her and for "looking after me so well during the past year," in a message shared to X.

"My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything," Kate added, saying that they "couldn't have asked for more." 

She also expressed a wish to use her new patron post to support research and clinical excellence, as well as advocate for patient and family wellbeing.

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"It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery," Kate said of her own health. "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support. C"

The surprise stop was Princess Kate's latest step on a gradual return to royal duties, around which no timeline has been set. In November 2024, William said he hoped his wife would be at his side for future travel in the new year.

“Hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up," William said after wrapping a busy week in Cape Town, South Africa for the fourth cycle of his environmental Earthshot Prize.