Why William pulled out of godfather King Constantine’s memorial service revealed

Kensington Palace previously said his absence was due to a ‘personal matter’

Prince William learned of his wife Kate’s cancer diagnosis before he was due to attend a memorial service (REUTERS)

William pulled out of a memorial service for his godfather King Constantine of Greece due to his wife’s cancer diagnosis, it has emerged.

The last-minute decision for the Prince of Wales to pull out of Constantine’s memorial service on 27 February raised questions at the time, as the palace only said it was due to a ‘personal matter’.

But the reason has become clear after Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis on Friday. The princess began a course of chemotherapy at end the end of February and it is understood William pulled out of the service due to her diagnosis.

King Constantine was close to the British royal family (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) (PA Archive)

Constantine died at the age of 82 in January last year. William, 41, called the Greek royal family to let them know he was unable to attend, and Crown Prince Pavlos stood in for the British heir to the throne who was due to give a Bible reading.

The Princess bravely shared with the world she was undergoing cancer treatment in a shock announcement, following weeks of often lurid online speculation about her health. After having abdominal surgery, doctors followed out further tests on Kate, which led to the discovery of cancer.

Speaking in the video message recorded on Wednesday in Windsor, the princess said: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.

“The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

“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.”

Kate’s statement was shared with the public yesterday (BBC Studios/PA Wire)

Kate also said she is “looking forward” to returning to work and supporting children in their early years and mental health but that she must prioritise her recovery.

She explained it had taken time for her and William to come to terms with the diagnosis and explain it to their young children Charlotte, eight, Louis, five, and George 10.