Prince William backs out of attending memorial service for Greek king due to personal matter
England's Prince William withdrew from a planned appearance at a memorial service for the king of Greece on Tuesday, citing a personal matter.
The late King Constantine II of Greece was William's godfather, and William called the Greek royal family to explain his absence. Kensington Palace has declined to clarify William's abrupt cancelation, but noted that his wife, Kate, continues to recover well from abdominal surgery.
King Charles III was also not in attendance at the ceremony due to his ongoing cancer treatment. The royal family has not stated what kind of cancer he is suffering from, but he has canceled all public engagements while the treatment is ongoing.
Tuesday's ceremony took place in St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Constantine II died in January of last year.
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England's Prince William withdrew from a planned appearance at a memorial service for the king of Greece on Tuesday, citing a personal matter. (Prince William)
Tuesday's incident comes less than a week after Prince William called for an end to the war in Gaza in a rare moment of political commentary by a royal family member. He urged an end to the war, citing the "sheer scale of human suffering" involved.
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"I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October," Prince William wrote in a monogrammed message shared on X. "Too many have been killed."
Kensington Palace has declined to clarify Prince William's abrupt cancelation, but noted that his wife, Princess Kate, continues to recover well from abdominal surgery. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)
"I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza," the presumed future king of England said. "It's critical that aid gets in and hostages are released. Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home."
Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, weighed in on the war in Gaza, a rare move for a royal family member.
The statement did not call for a specific outcome but highlighted the royal's concern about ongoing issues and rendering aid to a region that has been torn apart by a war that began with the Oct. 7 terror attacks last year.
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An estimated 29,000 Palestinians have died in the ongoing war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli Defense Forces reports approximately 574 soldiers killed since Oct. 7, with an additional 2,930 wounded.
Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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