Prince William made a comeback to social media, marking his first appearance since Kate Middleton disclosed her cancer diagnosis

Prince William made a comeback to social media, marking his first appearance since Kate Middleton disclosed her cancer diagnosis, to pay tribute to a distinguished English athlete.

Prince William has made a significant return to social media, marking his first appearance since the revelation of Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on March 22nd. His return was prompted by a heartfelt gesture to honor English footballer Rachel Daly, who recently announced her retirement from the women's national team after an illustrious eight-year career.

In a poignant display of appreciation, the 41-year-old Prince shared Rachel Daly's heartfelt message on his Instagram Story on April 10th. Alongside Daly's announcement, William penned a sincere note, expressing gratitude for her remarkable contributions to the Lionesses, writing, "Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @lionesses, @racheldaly3." He went on to offer words of encouragement, saying, "Plenty more goals for Villa now," before signing off with his initial "W."

This gesture from Prince William marks the first public engagement on the Prince and Princes of Wales' joint Instagram account since Kate's candid video update regarding her health journey three and a half weeks prior. In the heartfelt video message, the Duchess of Cambridge revealed that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer following abdominal surgery in January and had commenced preventative chemotherapy.

The Duchess, whose absence from public engagements before her announcement sparked widespread speculation about her health, highlighted that her children played a significant role in the Palace's decision not to disclose her diagnosis earlier.

She emphasized, "Recovery from major surgery and preparing for treatment have been a gradual process for me. Equally important has been the time spent discussing everything with George, Charlotte, and Louis in a manner that is suitable for their understanding, providing reassurance that I am on the path to recovery."

While Prince William hasn't directly addressed her health publicly, Kate highlighted in her video statement the invaluable support she's received from him and from people around the globe.

"Having William alongside me has been incredibly comforting and reassuring," she expressed. "Equally significant has been the outpouring of love, support, and kindness from so many of you. It holds immense significance for both of us."

The shocking news understandably rocked the royal family, and William and Kate have been navigating this challenging chapter privately, especially for the sake of their young family, which includes Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. Kate expressed in the video, "This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time."