Prince William had his first royal appearance following the revelation that he suffered from COVID-19 several months ago. The Duke of Cambridge addressed firefighters in a virtual ceremony for the Spirit of Fire Awards, where he also talked about getting mental health support.
The royal prepared a recorded message for the fire service workers and acknowledged the challenges they faced amid the pandemic. Prince William also stressed the importance of knowing that the firemen have someone to turn to if they are the ones in need of support.
The Duke of Cambridge also announced the winner of the Special Recognition Award for Excellence for the mental health field. Shilla Patel of the London Fire Brigade established United Minds in 2019 as the first mental health support network among the fire service personnel.
Every year, the Spirit of Fire Awards of the Fire Fighters Charity recognizes the efforts of those in the fire service community and is usually held on Downing Street. However, this year's ceremony had to take place online due to the ongoing public health crisis.
Prince William's virtual appearance comes the U.K. moves into its second lockdown on Nov. 5, amid the rising cases of COVID-19. The Duke of Cambridge had the infection in April but didn't tell the world until the news surfaced last week.
Sources said that Prince William kept his illness a secret as he "didn't want to alarm anyone" by also announcing that he was sick with the virus while his father, Prince Charles, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson developed COVID-19 symptoms around the same time. Queen Elizabeth was reportedly worried that the health status of her heirs to the British throne were at risk.
According to Daily Express, the Queen was one of the first people who knew about Prince William's coronavirus symptoms. Prince William, however, proceeded to carry out his work virtually despite being sick.
Since the news of his secret COVID-19 battle, Prince William received both criticisms and understanding about opting to stay quiet. Some critics outside of the U.K. think it would have been an opportunity for Prince William to send an effective message about public health.
In April, the world was still grappling with the gravity of the virus' strength and then dreading the lockdown at the same time. According to the Washington Post, Prince William could have influenced the public's understanding of this health threat.
Journalists in the U.K. were also slightly miffed that Kensington Palace wasn't forthcoming with Prince William's health. According to royal journalist Robert Jobson, they asked if the Duke of Cambridge was infected after Prince Charles and the Palace apparently said "no."
