Touching moment Prince William is handed get-well soon cards for Kate Middleton and King Charles as flag-waving well-wishers come out to support Prince's first engagement since wife's cancer announcement

Prince William today thanked a food charity volunteer for two get well soon cards for his wife the Princess of Wales and his father King Charles as they both battle cancer.

The Prince of Wales returned to public duties this afternoon for the first time in four weeks since Kate Middleton revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

William visited surplus food distribution charity Surplus to Supper in Surrey, where he helped out in the kitchen and loaded prepared meals into delivery vans.

He was handed two cards in a kitchen by volunteer Rachel Candappa, and told her: 'Oh some cards, oh, you're very kind. Thank you very much, that's very kind of you.'

The Prince touched the shoulder of the worker after she handed over the cards and then quickly moved the subject on - pointing at some food, and saying: 'You've got some spaghetti hoops? I've got children, I love spaghetti hoops.' William was also seen chopping up celery sticks as he helped a chef prepare bolognaise sauce.

One fan hoping to meet William outside told BBC News: 'I'm here to pass on regards and best wishes.' Another said they 'just want to support his first engagement' since Kate's announcement. And a third praised his work as a 'great thing he's doing'.

The 41-year-old father-of-three, who lives in nearby Windsor, will later travel to a youth centre in West London which benefits from the organisation's deliveries.

William has spent the past three-and-a-half weeks with his wife and children for the Easter holidays, as the family took time away to process the Princess's diagnosis.

The Prince last attended a public engagement at an event tackling homelessness in Sheffield on March 19 - three days before Kate's cancer revelation on March 22.

Founded in 2017, Surplus to Supper sources and distributes an average of 10 tons of food per week to food banks, schools, care homes, religious organisations and youth centres.

William attended Sunbury Cricket Club, the charity's headquarters, to meet volunteers who aim to bridge the gap between food waste and food poverty across Surrey and London.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: 'Reducing food waste has a considerable number of environmental benefits, including reducing emissions from landfill that contribute to climate change.

'Protecting the environment for future generations is one of The Prince of Wales's key priorities and in 2020 he launched The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize and platform to discover, award, celebrate and scale ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet.

'In 2021, The City of Milan won an Earthshot Prize in the 'Build a Waste-Free World' category for its innovative Food Hubs that collect excess food and distribute it to the communities who need it.'

Kensington Palace previously said that William would resume public engagements after the school holidays, on a reduced timetable as he continues to support Kate through her treatment.

It comes after William and his son Prince George attended an Aston Villa match together last Thursday in their first public outing since Kate's cancer announcement.

The Prince was seen smiling and applauding in the Villa Park stands during the club's 2-1 win against Lille in the first leg of the Europa Conference League quarter-final.

William also posted a message congratulating the Lionesses' Rachel Daly on her retirement on the Prince and Princess of Wales social media accounts last week.

Yesterday, William expressed his support for families bereaved by suicide in the armed forces community, telling them: 'Please know that you are not alone'.

The heir to the throne wrote a foreword for a series of guides for military veterans and their loved ones published by Suicide Bereavement UK.

The prince described how he and Kate had met many bereaved families over the years and understood the 'power that comes from sharing experiences'.

On March 22, the Princess of Wales, 42, revealed she is undergoing treatment for cancer in an emotional video message.

She, the Prince of Wales and their three children, all missed the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, following the announcement, despite attending last year.

The family spent the Easter holiday together as they adjusted to Kate's diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests after major abdominal surgery.

In the message revealing the diagnosis last month, Kate said: '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.

'It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

'But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.'

Since revealing the diagnosis, the Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be 'enormously touched' and 'extremely moved' by the public's warmth and support.

The King, who has been carrying out low-key official duties behind palace walls, made his most significant public appearance at the Easter Sunday service since his own cancer diagnosis was announced at the start of February.

He was described by the palace as being 'so proud' of the princess for her courage in speaking out and is said to be in 'the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law'.