Prince William Steps Out Solo in Wales After Kate Middleton Announces End of Cancer Treatment

The outing in Wales holds special significance for the royal couple

Prince William made a solo appearance in Wales the day after Kate Middleton's emotional announcement about completing her chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

The Sept. 10 outing in Llanelli, Wales, held significant meaning for both William and Kate, as it comes almost two years since King Charles bestowed upon them the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Kate, who is continuing to focus on her well-being and recovery, did not accompany William on the visit.

On Sept. 9, Kate, 42, revealed in an emotional video message that she has completed chemotherapyThe video also featured William and their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

"This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved," Kate said in the video.

While in Llanelli, William met with schoolchildren, celebrated the local culture and sports and saw causes close to his heart.

William kicked off the day at Swiss Valley Community Primary School, and head teacher Jo Davies tells PEOPLE that Prince William entered saying "bore da," which means "good morning" in Welsh.

"What a gentleman!" Davies says. "Absolutely fantastic. The staff have only known for just over a week that the Prince of Wales was coming."

The royal met students who participated in the 2024 Urdd Eisteddfod, a week-long festival dedicated to celebrating Welsh language and culture. Prince William watched a showcase of the school’s entries before chatting with the performers and their teachers to hear more about the impact of the festival. One of those young people was Ruby Davies, 10, who won the individual reciting competition for Welsh learners.

"I'm incredibly proud of the choir and the children and, of course, Ruby, who was incredible today," Davies says. "It was so nice for the school to share that with the Prince of Wales."

Davies says William spotted Ruby "as soon as he came into the hall," she says. "He could pick Ruby out in the choir with her enthusiasm and vigor." Though Davies admitted she was "incredibly nervous" to meet the Prince of Wales, "once he spoke to me, chatting about Ruby, it put me at rest," she says. "He was very kind and complimentary of the school and the children."

The school was "absolutely thrilled and honored to have him visit," Davies says, adding that "As a school we thrive on giving our children as many opportunities and experiences as we possibly can. One of those was entering our children into the national Eisteddfod, and we had really good success with Ruby. For him to recognize that and want to come to our school and share in that is just amazing."

The day was capped off with some time celebrating the role of a sport at the heart of culture in Wales — rugby. William spent some time at Parc y Scarlets, the home of the Scarlets Rugby Union team, to celebrate the past and present members of the national women's team. The Prince of Wales made the stop to support the Welsh Rugby Union's "Missing Caps" campaign and will spend time with members of the current international squad, which recently qualified for the 2025 World Cup.

Related: Prince William Appears in New Video Announcing Collaboration with Popular Children’s TV Show

Prince William and Princess Kate have a special affinity to Wales, even before becoming Prince and Princess of Wales. When the prince was serving in his role as a RAF Search and Rescue pilot based at RAF Valley in Anglesey from 2010 to 2013, he and Kate lived in a secluded farmhouse a short drive from the base in north Wales and spent the first months of son Prince George's life there. In fact, William's most recent royal duty in Wales was a trip to the RAF base on July 9.

William and Kate made their first visit to Wales in their new roles on Sept. 27, 2022, visiting Anglesey, where they'd lived as newlyweds, and Swansea. Rather than have a grand investiture like his father Charles, who took part in the ceremony when he was 20 years old, William is not likely to take part in an official ceremony. Two years ago, a royal source told PEOPLE that the couple were focused on "deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales over time."

Related: Kate Middleton and Prince William (with a Bold New Beard!) Team Up with Snoop Dogg in Surprise Olympics Video

"The Prince and Princess of Wales will approach their roles in the modest and humble way they've approached their work previously," the source said.

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His Sept. 10 outing came shortly after his official return to work following a summer break from public duties. On September 5, he visited a London art gallery in support of his Homewards campaign to end homelessness. His return to his public schedule coincided with his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, starting a new school year.

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