might be adding fuel to the fire as rumors about ’s whereabouts continue to swirl.
William, 41, traveled to Sheffield, England, on Tuesday, March 19, in support of The Royal Foundation’s Homewards Programme, which aims to end homelessness. While he attended the event sans Kate, 42, the Prince of Wales made a subtle reference to his wife.
During the event, the Sheffield City Council chief executive raised a discussion about childhood. William was quick to bring up his wife, praising her success as a mother — and with the foundation. (Kate and William share three kids, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.)
“Venturing into my wife’s territory here,” he said, per the Daily Mail. “She needs to be sat here to hear this.”
Kate’s work with the Homewards initiative started following its launch last summer, where the program pledged to provide up to 1,500 “Home Starter Packs,” including paint, furniture, flooring and furnishings for those who’ve experienced homelessness and housing insecurity. (The Prince of Wales also announced during the event that more than $1 million is being donated by one of his Homewards initiative partners.)
William also met with a royal watcher during Tuesday’s event, who gave him a get well soon card for Kate, the Daily Mail reported. “You really are very kind,” William apparently told the fan.
Kate has been widely out of the public eye in the wake of a planned abdominal surgery that took place in January. While she’s been spotted on three outings this month, the Princess of Wales won’t return to her public-facing duties until after Easter.
Details about Kate’s well-being have been kept under wraps, which has since led various social media theories to run wild.
William’s attendance at Tuesday’s event in Sheffield comes days after he and Kate had a rare public outing at the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday, March 16. Us Weekly has since obtained a video of their excursion, in which both the Prince and Princess of Wales were dressed down in casual looks. An eyewitness told TMZ that Kate “looked happy and relaxed” as they shopped around.
“I noticed a couple choosing loaves of bread and the woman turned her face and I felt like I had seen the face before. It was familiar. I knew it from somewhere,” the eyewitness, who has since been identified as , told TMZ. “I went to my car and as they came out of the shop I just filmed them. I think they walked out through a gate out of the grounds. They just vanished and didn’t see a car.”
