Britain's Prince William has returned to public duties following his wife Kate's surgery and the revelation King Charles has cancer.
The Prince of Wales and the heir to the throne is set to take on a more prominent role in his father's absence.
William postponed all his planned engagements to look after his three children after Kate, 42, underwent planned abdominal surgery last month.
Since then, his father has undergone treatment at the same hospital for an enlarged prostate, before Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that subsequent tests on the 75-year-old monarch had revealed he had a form of cancer.
William, 41, began his working day on Wednesday by hosting an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, awarding honours like CBEs, OBEs and MBEs to recipients.
He was later to attend a gala fundraising dinner for London's Air Ambulance Charity.
Former England footballer Ellen White said she sent her "best wishes" to the King when speaking with the Prince of Wales at an investiture ceremony.
William, who is president of the Football Association, made the record-scoring Lioness an MBE for services to football.
Asked about her conversation with the prince, she told the PA news agency: "I sent my best wishes to the King.
"I just think, you know, it must be a difficult time for the family. He was really lovely."
"It was a really nice conversation. I've met him a couple of times, he definitely puts you at ease."
With the King postponing public duties as he has out-patient treatment and Kate not expected to return to engagements until after Easter, the onus will be on the remaining royals especially William and Charles' wife Queen Camilla, to provide the public face of the monarchy.
Royal author Robert Hardman said William had already taken on substantial state duties towards the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign when she was hampered by mobility issues.
"In that regard, it's not that different but obviously there's the burden of expectation," Hardman told Reuters.
"On many occasions he will have to stand in, he'll be sort of quasi head of state in much the same way that Prince Charles was when the queen was infirm."
On Tuesday, the King travelled with Camilla to Sandringham House, his home in eastern England, after a brief meeting of about 30 minutes with his estranged son Prince Harry who flew in from California to see his father after the king told him he had cancer.
Harry has barely been on speaking terms with many of the Windsors after his criticism of the monarchy since stepping down from royal duties almost four years ago.
A royal source said there were no plans for him to see his elder brother William during his visit to Britain.
Despite the diagnosis, Charles is planning to continue with much of his private work as monarch including his weekly audience with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and dealing with state papers.
Sunak said he was in regular contact with the King.
"That will of course continue as normal and we'll crack on with everything," he said.
Buckingham Palace has not given any details of the King's condition other than to say it was not prostate cancer, but said the monarch was remaining "wholly positive" and looking forward to returning to public duty as soon as possible.
Charles was seen in public for the first time since his diagnosis on Tuesday.
He smiled and waved to passers-by as he was driven the short distance from his Clarence House home in central London to Buckingham Palace.
With PA
