Prince William has thanked the nation for its ‘kind messages of support’ for his wife and father.
In a speech, the Prince of Wales said the heartfelt messages received by his family following Kate’s hospitalisation for serious abdominal surgery and King Charles’ shock cancer diagnosis ‘means a great deal to us all’.
The monarch is recuperating at Sandringham following his first cancer treatment and Kate is at home following abdominal surgery.
William was speaking at a glittering gala dinner in support of London’s Air Ambulance Charity at Raffles London at the OWO (Old War Office), which was also attended by Hollywood star Tom Cruise.
He told his audience: ‘I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all.
‘It’s fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather “medical” focus. So I thought I’d come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all!’
There was also a joke for Tom Cruise, known for his daredevil high-flying film stunts, as the royal said: ‘Here in London, the current aircraft have served magnificently. But our capital city needs a new fleet.
‘And we are Up Against Time. The clue really is in the Appeal’s name. By September, we need the two new red birds – decked with the latest kit such as night vision – in our skies.
‘I should also take this opportunity to give a mention to my – our – fellow pilot, Tom Cruise. Tom, huge thanks for supporting us tonight.
‘And if you wouldn’t mind not borrowing either of the new helicopters for the next Mission: Impossible, it would be appreciated.
‘We have all seen on our screens that – how can I put it – you seem to have a different take on ‘normal wear and tear’ to the rest of us.
‘It’s not the kind that buffs out, that’s for sure.’
