Prince William breaks his social media silence for the first time since Kate announced her cancer diagnosis

The Prince of Wales has broken his social media silence for the first time since his wife Kate announced her shock cancer diagnosis.

Prince William, 41, shared a personal message this afternoon to the official Instagram account he shares with the Princess of Wales.

‘Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @racheldaly3. Plenty more goals for Villa now!,’ wrote the royal, before signing off the note with his personal signature online, simply the letter W.

England Euros 2022 winner and Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly announced her retirement from international football today.

Keen football fan William, who supports the Birmingham-based team, became President of the FA in 2006 and regularly attends England games and FA Cup finals.

He is currently spending the Easter holidays with his wife and three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, as they adjust to Kate’s diagnosis.

Prince William , 41, shared a personal message this afternoon to the official Instagram account he shares with the Princess of Wales 

Keen football fan William, who supports the Birmingham-based team, became President of the FA in 2006 and regularly attends England games and FA Cup finals. Pictured, the Prince and Princess of Wales in November 2023

In his Instagram story, William shared Rachel’s post in which the football player announced her retirement from the international stage.

It marks the first personal note from either the Prince or Princess of Wales since Kate shared an emotional video message announcing her shock cancer diagnosis, having spent a fortnight in the private London Clinic for abdominal surgery in January. 

The cancer-stricken King was described by the Palace as being ‘so proud’ of the Princess for her courage in speaking out, and is said to be in ‘the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law’.

Daly, 32, scored 16 goals across 84 caps – which saw her play in as many as six different positions for the Lionesses – including left back and striker.

Prince William has previously met Daly, including in 2022 at St. George’s Park in Burton upon Trent, when visiting the England Women’s football team.

The Aston Villa forward, who was part of the Euro 2022-winning squad and the team that reached last summer’s World Cup final, informed her England team-mates of her decision after their 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday evening.

‘I would love nothing more than to play for England forever, but the time has come for me to hang my boots up on the international stage,’ Daly said.

‘While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also one filled with reflection and immense gratitude.

In a clip to Instagram, the Princess of Wales announced she has been diagnosed with cancer in an emotional video message

Rachel Daly has announced a shock retirement from international football as of Wednesday. Pictured, England after winning the Women’s Euro 2022 final

England’s Rachel Daly (left), Millie Bright and Leah Williamson celebrate after winning the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium 

‘It has been the greatest honour to represent my family, my team-mates and the entire country. I have a lot of incredible memories during my time with England that have been pivotal moments.

‘Winning the Euros and then reaching the World Cup final changed a lot for me, not only as a footballer but as a person. 

‘I’m so fortunate that I’ve been able to share that with so many remarkable people throughout my journey.

‘I have made special friendships that will last a lifetime. I will be eternally grateful to have been given the opportunity to wear the England badge with immense pride over the past eight years.

‘I am very fortunate to have played a small part in making history with the Lionesses and I feel now is the right time to pass on that baton to the next generation.’

England manager Sarina Wiegman paid tribute to Daly’s versatility, saying: ‘Rachel has been an incredible part of our story and the history we’ve made together. It has been a privilege to work with her.

‘I have never worked with a player so versatile, always with a smile on her face, bringing energy and trying to do her best for the team.

‘She’ll be missed not just by me but all the other staff members, players and of course the fans.’ 

Kate, 42, announced via an emotional video message at the end of March that she is in the early stages of treatment after a cancer diagnosis.

During the clip, the future Queen said it had been an ‘incredibly tough couple of months’ for her family but she was ‘well and getting stronger every day’. 

Kate (pictured with Princess Charlotte on Christmas Day 2023), 42, announced via an emotional video message at the end of March that she is in the early stages of treatment after a cancer diagnosis 

The King (pictured greeting Kate in September 2021) was described by the Palace as being ‘so proud’ of the Princess for her courage in speaking out, and is said to be in ‘the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law’. 

Well-wishers at royal visits have passed on notes to Queen Camilla to give to the Princess of Wales 

The mother-of-three was at the centre of conspiracy theories that swirled around online which questioned her disappearance after having abdominal surgery, despite the palace stating that she needed time to recover from her operation at the start of the year.

Speaking to PEOPLE, a former Palace aide said the level of interest in Kate’s health was a ‘complex reaction’.

They explained: ‘There was no malintent. But it unleashed a pent-up feeling that people wanted information – unfortunately, that’s the curse of being a modern royal.’

King Charles has also been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer after going for a procedure for an enlarged prostate at the same hospital as Kate in January. 

At the start of February, Buckingham Palace went public with the news that he was diagnosed with a form of cancer, adding that it is not prostate cancer, but was discovered during his treatment. 

He has since praised his daughter-in-law for her courage in speaking about her condition.

‘His Majesty is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did’,’ Buckingham Palace said. 

King Charles III (left) is presented with the first bank notes featuring his portrait from the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey at Buckingham Palace yesterday

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also said: ‘We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.’

Yesterday, Charles greeted the governor of the Bank of England for a historic meeting where he was presented with the first banknotes bearing his portrait.

The King praised the notes as ‘very well designed’ and expressed his surprise at being only the second monarch to feature. 

He received a leather-bound booklet containing the historic legal tender from Andrew Bailey at Buckingham Palace.

‘Good morning Governor. I’m sorry it’s a bit delayed this. I hope it isn’t too delayed,’ Charles said. But Mr Bailey replied: ‘Not at all. We’re still in advance of launching them.’ Charles remarked: ‘Oh you are? Great.’