Kate Middleton news: Prince William says she would have loved to be at D-Day commemorations in Portsmouth

The Prince of Wales said his wife the Princess of Wales would have “loved” to have joined in with the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day as she continues to recover following her cancer diagnosis.

Footage posted on social media site X, formerly Twitter, showed William speaking to a veteran following a major event in Portsmouth on Wednesday, in which he appeared to say “she is” when asked if Kate was “getting any better”. The prince added: “She’d love to be here today.”

He told the veteran about how Kate’s grandmother worked at Bletchley Park during the Second World War and was one of a group of women who “never spoke about anything until the very end, adding: “It was all very secret.”

William’s words followed an emotional show on Southsea Common, where the King and Queen appeared tearful during commemorations.

Charles paid tribute to the “courage, resilience and solidarity” of D-Day veterans, as he and Camilla joined the Prince of Wales, leading UK politicians and veterans at the event. Pictures showed the King appear to wipe a tear from his eye, and the Queen appeared emotional following words from Royal Navy serviceman Eric Bateman.

The King’s appearance at the event in Portsmouth was his first public speech and his most high-profile appearance since his cancer diagnosis.

Prince William’s message about his wife may scotch a story published in America yesterday, which suggested that Kate Middleton’s cancer may keep her out of public life for a long time, and also see her reassess her royal role.

A source told Us Weekly she “may never come back in the role that people saw her in before”, and added that she is currently “re-evaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back” after undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment following an undisclosed cancer diagnosis. The New York Post reported that royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams elsewhere noted that once Princess Catherine returns to her duties, “it will be [based] on medical advice, and it will be very carefully balanced.”

Speculation has again begun to mount about the Princess of Wales. On the one hand she is said to have “turned a corner in her treatment”, been seen running errands near Sandringham, and be considering appearing at the Trooping the Colour next weekend, and on the other friends have said she may not appear in public until 2025.

On January the Princess was admitted to the London Clinic for planned abdominal surgery. That was successful, but uncovered a previously unknown and as-yet undisclosed form of cancer. The Princess, as she revealed in a video on March 22, is receiving preventative chemotherapy, and has not been seen in public since Christmas Day. “Lots of people involved in planning need to know what all the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate’s diary for this year is empty. There is nothing planned. She may not appear in public for the rest of the year,” a royal insider told The Daily Beast last month.

“I would not rule out another video message updating the country on her health,” the source said. “That proved to be a very effective way of keeping the conspiracy theorists at bay.”

“It has been a great relief that she is tolerating the medication and is actually doing a lot better,” a friend told told Vanity Fair recently. “It has, of course, been a very challenging and worrying time. Everyone has rallied around her — William, her parents, and her sister and brother.”