Prince William Skips Godfather’s Memorial Service ‘Due to a Personal Matter’

Prince William sparked concern when Kensington Palace revealed he was skipping a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece.

“Unfortunately, the Prince of Wales is no longer able to attend the King Constantine Memorial Service this morning due to a personal matter,” the palace told Us Weekly in a statement on Tuesday, February 27.

The service for King Constantine, who died at the age of 82 in January 2023, was held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on February 27. Not only did William, 41, skip the event, but King Charles III also didn’t attend his cousin’s memorial following his cancer diagnosis.

The palace did not reveal the specific reason why William was unable to attend the service, though insisted that his wife, Princess Kate Middleton, is in good health after she underwent abdominal surgery in January.

It was revealed on January 17 that Kate, 42, underwent a“planned” procedure at The London Clinic. “The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery,” the palace shared in a statement posted via X at the time. “Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

Kate wanted to “maintain as much normality for her children as possible” throughout her recovery, according to the palace. However, they promised to post another update “when there is significant new information to share.”

As Kate continues to recover from the surgery, In Touch exclusively revealed that William was staying busy as he took care of their kids Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, by helping with school drop-offs and pickups and helping in the kitchen.

“He’s quite good at it too. He’s whipping up oatmeal and smoothies and roast chicken,” an insider exclusively told In Touch. “He even made Kate’s favorite curry.”

The source added that “William has a new appreciation for everything that Kate does” for their family. “Being home like this reminds William and Kate of earlier days when things were simpler and they didn’t have such busy schedules,” the insider continued. “The focus right now is for Kate to get well so she can be back on her feet and return to royal duties.”
More recently, Kensington Palace told People that Kate "continues to be doing well” amid her recovery process.