Prince William Joins Royals and World Leaders as He Stands in for King Charles at D-Day Event

King Charles was said to be delighted that his son stood in for him as the monarch could not be there himself amid his cancer treatment

• Prince William stepped as an international statesman on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings

• The Prince of Wales joined heads of state and royals at the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France

• King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a separate event in France on the anniversary

Prince William is representing King Charles on the world stage during a historic anniversary.

The Prince of Wales, 41, attended the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. William joined over 25 heads of state, fellow European royals and veterans from around the world at the key ceremony to remember the sacrifices made on June 6, 1944.

Royals joining Prince William at the event were King Frederik of Denmark, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Prince Albert of Monaco and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.

The event was also attended by U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and more.

The Prince of Wales was a senior U.K. figure at the ceremony at Omaha Beach. The heir to the British throne's presence at the event was highly significant, as it represented a further step in his burgeoning role as an international statesman.

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King Charles was said to be delighted that his son stood in for him and represented the U.K. at the event. The British monarch, 75, could not be there himself because it was felt by his medical team to be too much for him to tackle amid his ongoing cancer treatment.

While the King’s doctors are encouraged by the progress made so far, his treatment program is continuing, and palace officials still assess each outing in the light of prioritizing his continued recovery. With this in mind, officials and his medical team were mindful that the international heads of state event followed King Charles' appearance at the British memorial in Normandy earlier in the day. The monarch also attended commemorations on the British side of the water on June 5.  

The service was Prince William's second event on June 6, as he began the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Canadian commemorative ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer. There, the royal joined Canadian veterans of D-Day and World War II, personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces, cadets and youth representatives and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. William made a speech and laid a wreath at the event hosted by the government of Canada, which is part of the British Commonwealth.

In his speech, Prince William said he was "honored to join you to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the Canadian troops, who gave so much 80 years ago."

"Far from home, they stormed these very sand dunes behind me, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of British troops. Standing here today in peaceful silence, it is almost impossible to grasp the courage it would have taken to run into the fury of battle that very day," he said. "We continue to honor every Canadian, who gave so much. Every Canadian family who lost a loved one. Every Canadian who lived with the scars of battle, both physical and mental."

The alliance between Canadian and British troops remains today, the Prince of Wales said.

"Ensuring the memory of those who fought for freedom lives on, is why we’ve come together again today — to say thank you. Thank you for our freedom, and thank you for your service," he said before ending with the same in French: "Merci pour notre liberté, et merci pour votre service."

Eighty years ago, Omaha Beach linked the U.S. and British beaches during the massive military operation that saw about 7,000 ships and landing craft, 156,000 men and 10,000 vehicles attack German forces in Normandy during World War II. The campaign cost the lives of an estimated 10,000 men and signaled the start of the liberation of Nazi-occupied northwest Europe.

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Earlier on June 6, the King and Queen Camilla marked the anniversary with the Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer. They joined French President Emmanuel Macron and British veterans at the event, which connected to one of the King's patronages. The monarch is patron of the legion, the largest charity for the armed forces in the U.K., as well as the Normandy Memorial Trust.

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The palace previously announced that King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family would step out to remember the sacrifices made by troops on the anniversary of the D-Day Landings this year.

On June 5, King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William made a rare joint engagement at the U.K.’s national commemorative event to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth, England. Some of the veterans who joined them at the service were involved in the D-Day Landings.

As the King, Queen and Prince of Wales stepped out in France the following day, Princess Anne made four D-Day anniversary-related engagements.

King Charles’ trip to France was poignant as his first overseas since Buckingham Palace announced he was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment in February. The monarch resumed public-facing duties in late April, though the palace said his summer schedule is contingent on a case-by-case basis.

Prince William returned to public work in mid-April, after taking a few weeks off after his wife Kate Middleton shared on March 22 that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. Princess Kate will not attend the Colonel’s Review on June 8 before Trooping the Colour next week, as the Irish Guards, of which she serves as honorary colonel, practice presenting their flag.

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