Prince William gives 14-word update on Kate Middleton during surprise school visit

Prince William gave a heartfelt update on his wife, Kate Middleton, during an unexpected visit to a school today, 25 April. The future King visited St Michael's Church of England High School in Rowley Regis, Sandwell, where he met with the inspiring young Freddie Hadley, who had previously invited the Royal with a touching handwritten note.

During his visit, Prince William expressed regret that Kate couldn't join him, sharing with the staff: "I am sorry Catherine can't be here as well. She would have loved to."

The royal also commended Freddie for his impressive letter, saying: "Lots of people write letters but Freddie's was a really well-written letter. I promised I would come."

Freddie had reached out to William on Twitter during World Mental Health Day last October, detailing the mental health initiatives he and his peers were championing at their school.

In a delightful twist, the Prince of Wales responded to Freddie's efforts, stating: "Good afternoon Freddie, I'm so sorry Catherine and I can't be with you and the rest of the students at St Michael's today", reports the Express.

He continued to praise the school's commitment to mental health, urging them to "Tackling mental health challenges and stigmas head-on is so important, please keep up this important work."

Prince William then instructed his team to discreetly arrange a visit to the school during his next round of public engagements in the West Midlands.

The young pupil and his friends were stunned when the royal dad-of-three arrived at their school today, marking the beginning of his trio of engagements in the area.

To maintain the surprise, school officials told Freddie that he would be receiving a visit from the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands instead.

It wasn't until Freddie spotted William emerging from his motorcade as it neared the school that he realised the true identity of his visitor.

Upon meeting, William greeted Freddie with: "So this is the young lad who started it all off. Very nice to see you, thank you for your letter."

Freddie warmly responded: "You're very welcome."

William's update on wife Kate comes after she bravely revealed her cancer diagnosis in a video message to the nation on 22 March. In the video, Kate asked that time, space and privacy be given to her family as she revealed that she had begun chemotherapy.

She said: “This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time.

“It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.”

Kate’s cancer was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery in January.