Prince William has said that both he and Kate Middleton are "extremely concerned about the rise of antisemitism," in his first public appearance amid growing speculation over the whereabouts of his wife during her recovery from "planned abdominal surgery" last month.
The prince met with young people at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London on Tuesday. Earlier this month, he released a powerful personal statement calling for a swift end to fighting in the Middle East.
The Context
William's synagogue visit came after the prince pulled out of attending the memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine II of Greece, in Windsor on Tuesday at the last minute, citing "personal reasons."
Despite Kensington Palace subsequently reassuring the public that Kate continues to do "well" in her recovery from surgery, which is estimated to continue until after Easter, social media users have questioned the princess' whereabouts in a series of posts and satirical memes. This, in part, has been driven by the fact that she has not been seen in public since December 25, and no new photographs of her have been released since then.
When contacted on Thursday, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace told Newsweek that Kate continues to be doing well, clarifying their position that: "As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates."
What We Know
Prince William made his first public appearance on Thursday since he visited the headquarters of the British Red Cross on February 20, where he discussed humanitarian aid efforts being made by the organization in the Middle East amid the Israel-Palestine conflict. The royal has undertaken a stripped-down schedule of engagements since Kate's surgery, as he has supported his wife and their three children in adjusting to the changes it has effected.
The prince visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, where he spoke with a group of young Ambassadors of the Holocaust Educational Trust about the rise in global antisemitism. During the discussion, news cameras captured William's reference to his wife, and their joint concern about the impact of antisemitism on young people today.
"Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise of antisemitism," he said. "I'm just so sorry that any of you have had to experience that. It has no place and it shouldn't happen. So that's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and do listen, and we can't let that keep going."
The prince's public reference to Kate is not only his first since the growth in public discourse surrounding her absence from public life, but also since he released a personal statement calling for a swift end to fighting in the Middle East and condemning the human impact in the region since the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The statement was not jointly made in Kate's name, and details about her health and surgery recovery have been limited since January.
On January 29, it was announced that Kate had been discharged from hospital to continue her recuperation at home in Windsor and was "making good progress."
Views
Discourse among commentators and experts about Kate's absence and the palace's handling of this has grown as her time out of the public eye has increased and also as the royal family's medical challenges have become more public.
King Charles III announced he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this month, meaning that two of the most senior royals are taking time away from public duties to recuperate from medical issues.
As attention on social media in particular is focused on Kate (as one of the most popular public figures in both the U.K. and U.S.), Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, told Sky News on February 22 that it might be time to reassure people everything is ok.
"[The Princess of Wales] is still recovering, we still haven't seen her, we still haven't seen a picture of her," he said.
"I am starting to wonder if it might be worth their while considering whether they could release something that had been taken at a calm private moment, just to reassure people that she is ok."
What's Next?
In their statement of January 17, first announcing that Kate had undergone abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace made clear that "the surgery was successful" and that "based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
As far as the palace have indicated, this position has not changed, meaning Kate is expected to be absent from official events for at least another month.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Update 2/29/24, 10:48 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a Kensington Palace spokesperson.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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