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, paid tribute to England Lioness Rachel Daly as he shared a personal message this afternoon to the official Instagram account he shares with the Princess of Wales.

The father-of-three, who is currently spending the Easter holidays with Kate and their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, paid tribute to the footballer after she announced her retirement.

The family have kept a low profile in recent weeks as the Princess of Wales takes time to recover amid rounds of 'preventative' chemotherapy to stop the disease after it was discovered during major abdominal surgery earlier this year.

The Prince, who has not been seen publicly since his wife's announcement, is not expected to pick back up his public duties until his children return to school after the holidays. 

In her address to the nation announcing she had been diagnosed with cancer, Kate revealed she and William had been 'doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family'. 

She added that having William by her side had been a 'great source of comfort and reassurance too' , and she was going to 'focus on making a full recovery'.

Prince William poses with England players including Rachel Daly (2nd L) and Millie Bright (2nd R) after receiving a gift of three England shirts, each bearing the name of one of his children, whilst visiting the England Women's football team at St. George's Park on June 15, 2022 in Burton upon Trent

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 an emotional video message at the end of March announcing the news, 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'.

She added: 'My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.' 

Kate's last official royal engagement was the Christmas Day church service in Sandringham on December 25 - and there has been no set timeline for her return to public life so far.

The royal 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, 75, 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. 

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

The heir to the British throne has long been a passionate supporter of Villa - and has even brought his son Prince George along to games at Villa Park (pictured in March 2023)

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'. 

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.' 

Last month, Queen Camilla, 76, revealed during a walkabout in Shrewsbury that her daughter-in-law is 'thrilled' by the support she has received from the public.

Responding to a royal fan holding a sign reading 'send our love to Kate', the Queen replied: 'I know that Catherine is thrilled by all the kind wishes and support.' 

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.'

Meanwhile, Kensington Palace has posted thank you cards to members of the public who sent their well wishes to the Princess of Wales as she undergoes cancer treatment. 

Since the public has found out about Kate's health struggle, other working royals who have stepped in have been given cards and notes to give to the Princess. Royal fans have also sent them to the Palace.

One woman received a letter from the Palace on Saturday after she sent a card to Kate wishing her the best after hearing that she was undergoing abdominal surgery in January.

The short note, which is printed on card and features the Palace's letterhead on the top, read: 'Thank you for your kind well wishes to Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.  Your thoughtful gesture is very much appreciated.'

The palace usually sends out cards on special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas, when they receive correspondence from royal fans.

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

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 postcard was left blank, which is unusual because correspondence from the Royal Family usually comes with a picture. 

Allex Marie took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express her gratitude for the note, adding that she would 'treasure this my entire life.'

While William is enjoying the Easter break with his family, he was unable to resist interrupting his time off to pay tribute to Daly, who has played for the royal's beloved Aston Villa since 2022.

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

England Euros 2022 winner and Aston Villa forward Daly, 32, announced her retirement from international football earlier on Wednesday.

Praising the player in his Stories, William wrote: 'Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @racheldaly3. Plenty more goals for Villa now!' He signed off with the letter 'W', to indicate the personal nature of the post.

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.

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.

Daly scored 16 goals across 84 caps for her beloved country - but she said she felt it was the 'right time to pass on that baton to the next generation' in a reference to the youthful talent breaking through.

The 32-year-old played in as many as six different positions - including left back and striker - for the Lionesses, but has fallen down the pecking order having expressed her desire to play in her preferred role as a striker.

Football fan 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 heir to the British throne has long been a passionate supporter of Villa - and has even brought his son Prince George along to games. 

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 

Daly, 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.

‘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.’ x

Daly started ever game at Euro 2022 despite losing her father before the tournament. She celebrated all of her goals for England by kissing an armband which she wears in his honour. 

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. 

‘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 in her announcement, pictured, which she shared to her social media channels

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

England captain Leah Williamson said: 'There are not enough words to do you justice as a player but most importantly as a human being. So happy I got to play with you one last time.'

Lionesses defender Lucy Bronze said: 'You've deserved every single minute of wearing that England shirt.'

'So proud of you, no words to describe how gutted I am but what an international career it's been,' said Arsenal and England star Beth Mead. 'So happy to have been a part of it. Love you Rachy.'

Chelsea captain Millie Bright wrote: 'I don't have many words right now. I've shed a lot of tears knowing this was coming. I am the proudest best friend of everything you've achieved in your international career. You've given your heart and soul to your country over and over again. I love you.'