Prince William’s first return to royal duties following his father King Charles III’s cancer announcement and Kate Middleton’s hospitalization for abdominal surgery.

The 41-year-old future king thanked the public at a charity gala dinner for their “kind messages of support” after publicly discussing his family’s health problems for the first time. He had presided over an investiture at Windsor Castle earlier in the day.

“The past few weeks have been, shall we say, medically focused, so I figured I’d come to an air ambulance function to escape it all,” he continued in a lighthearted manner.

The queen, a former pilot for air ambulance helicopters, attended the black-tie event where she met other pilots and had conversations with celebrities including Tom Cruise.

The King, Jr., is undergoing treatment for an unidentified malignancy as an outpatient.

Many cancer patients can now undergo treatment and achieve a remission or complete eradication of their disease, according to oncologists.

Following Kate’s operation for an unidentified condition, William took a temporary leave of absence from his public obligations to assist with the care of their three young children. It will likely be April before the former Kate Middleton, now known as the Princess of Wales, returns to her public duties.

Charles has been diagnosed with cancer earlier this week, adding further strain on the royal family. In order to concentrate on his treatment and recuperation, the monarch has decided to cease all public appearances. Although Charles is undergoing treatment for an unknown type of cancer, he will keep up with his administrative duties, such as examining and signing state files.