The Prince of Wales spoke about the King's cancer diagnosis for the first time and thanked the public for their “kind messages of support” as his older brother Harry returns to California.
William's words of praise, delivered at a fundraising gala dinner, also recognized the Princess of Wales' well-wishers as she recovers from planned abdominal surgery.
“This means a lot to all of us,” he told guests.
The heir to the throne returned to work Wednesday to support the king while his older brother, the Duke of Sussex, returned to the United States after a whirlwind trip to see their father.
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The Prince of Wales walks to attend the Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner in London.
(EPA)
Prince William stopped for photographers at the entrance to the gala dinner.
(Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
William took time off to support his family following Kate's surgery on January 16, and returned to his official duties once Kate's care and recovery had stabilized.
But his first day back in office comes as the royal family deals with health issues surrounding his father, the head of state whose reign will turn 17 months on Thursday.
William used his pre-dinner speech at the event to raise funds for London's Air Ambulance Charity's new helicopter fleet, where guests included Hollywood star Tom Cruise and Arsenal football club manager Mikel Arteta.
The Prince said: “I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Catherine and her father for their warm messages of support, especially recently. This means a lot to all of us.
“It’s fair to say that the last few weeks have been somewhat medically focused, so I thought I’d go to the air ambulance to get away from it all.”
Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and William
(dad)
When William first arrived at the Raffles London, a luxury hotel in Westminster, a journalist shouted words of support, and the prince waved his hand in acknowledgement and replied: “Thank you so much for everyone’s kind messages. thank you.”
At the pre-dinner reception, William, a former ambulance helicopter pilot, met members of the London Service crew and chatted with Cruise and the latest line-up of 1970s disco group Sister Sledge.
After guests took their seats in the ballroom, host and broadcaster Tania Bryer applauded after she said: “We wish His Majesty the very best of luck.”
Prince William chats with a London Air Ambulance pilot during an event on Wednesday evening.
(AP)
The gala dinner will raise funds for London's Air Ambulance Charity's Up Against Time appeal. The group is seeking £15 million to replace the service's helicopters by the autumn.
William is a former ambulance pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance and will meet crew members, former patients and supporters before giving a short speech during the event.
London's Air Ambulance Charity was set up in 1989 in response to growing concerns that victims of serious accidents were dying due to delays in getting specialist medical help and the time it takes to get patients to hospital.
The service pioneered the doctor-on-board model for air ambulances and aims to bring hospital emergency departments to accident scenes.