The Princess of Wales was cared for in hospital by two ‘amazing and kind’ Filipino nurses, her husband William revealed today to an MBE recipient. 

William, who is now the monarchy’s most prominent public figure, handed out more than 50 honours on behalf of the King as he recuperates at Sandringham after his first cancer treatment and Kate stays at home following abdominal surgery. 

The Prince of Wales, who was wearing an RAF uniform, chatted warmly with recipients including Patricia Spruce, who was made an MBE for her work recruiting foreign medics for the NHS. 

Ms Spruce revealed afterwards that she had asked William about his wife. Taking to LinkedIn, she wrote: ‘Prince William said that Katherine had two Filipino nurses looking after her and they were amazing and kind.’ 

Ellen White, who was also made an MBE, said she gave her ‘best wishes’ for Kate and the King. Asked how William responded, she said: ‘He really appreciated it. So yeah, it was something that obviously I wanted to send my best wishes.’

Lipreader Jeremy Freeman, who analysed the exchange for MailOnline, revealed it ended with William saying William, ‘Well it was lovely to see you again’, before White responded, ‘Thank you, please wish your Dad well’.

Charles has postponed all public-facing duties, but is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on his red boxes of state papers.

And today Downing Street took the unusual step of confirming details about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s weekly audience with the King, following an agreement with Buckingham Palace, and said it would be held later over the phone.

William was last seen outside The London Clinic on January 18 after visiting his wife, who returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor on Monday and is set to be out of the public eye until at least Easter. 

Prince Harry arrived in London yesterday and had a ‘brief meeting’ with Charles at Clarence House, but sources close to William have made it clear he has ‘no plans’ to see his estranged brother. 

William will appear at a charity gala tonight, where he is expected to speak about his father’s charity diagnosis for the first time. He may also thank wellwishers and discuss what the Royal Family have been through in recent days. 

However, the heir to the throne will not talk about his brother Harry, with one royal expert calling their relationship ‘completely broken’. 

The King’s cancer treatment as an outpatient started earlier this week, and he returned, with the Queen, to his Sandringham home in Norfolk yesterday after seeing his son the Duke of Sussex, who had flown back to the UK from California.

William may step in to represent his father at any public events, but no engagements are scheduled at the moment and the royal palaces will make arrangements if the need arises. 

Meanwhile, Prince Harry flew 5,000 miles from California yesterday to see his father for 45 minutes following the King’s shock cancer diagnosis.

But while Harry’s transatlantic dash raised hopes he will continue to heal wounds with his family, there hasn’t been ‘any sign’ of a reunion between the two royal brothers.

BBC Royal Correspondent Daniela Relph said the chances of a reconciliation between William and Harry remains unlikely given their ongoing feud.

‘It’s a sibling relationship that still looks incredibly broken. We don’t know if either side has reached out in any way, if there has been any attempt to find a truce. As things stand there doesn’t seem to be any sign of that,’ she told Radio 4.

‘You have to read that as a sign of the state of their relationship, nothing in the diary we’re told for them to meet up while Harry’s in the UK.

‘It also means Harry won’t be visiting his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who has been unwell, someone he was once very close to.’

The Duke of Sussex was one of the first family members seen to visit Charles after his shock diagnosis was made public.

Another visit by Harry to his father has not been ruled out, according to The Telegraph, but it is understood the Duke will not be making a visit to his older brother while staying in London.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman told Radio 4 that it is common for feuding families to ‘come together’ during tough times.

Mr Hardman said: ‘In times of crisis families do come together, and I think everyone will be happy to see that.

‘I think there is a sort of sense of business as usual going on and that’s very much a message that the palace is trying to put out, but if along the way we can see some bridges being built, then that’s got to be a good thing.’ 

While William returned to public duties today – after having decided to ‘clear his diary’ in order to support the Princess of Wales during and after her operation last month – he is not expected to pick up full-time royal duties quite yet.

This evening, he will attend the London Air Ambulance annual fundraising gala in central London. He has been the charity’s patron since 2020.

The dinner is being held in support of the charity’s largest ever fundraiser, hoping to produce £15million to replace its helicopter fleet.

After today, William has no further duties scheduled this week and will be with Kate and the children again next week during their half-term holiday.

Princess Anne will also be back in action today after conducting four engagements yesterday, with three today scheduled across Berkshire, London and Oxfordshire.

A source said: ‘The Prince has always made clear that his priority is to support his wife and family for the time being – and he did not put a timescale on that.

‘He will make a return to duties on Wednesday but you should not expect to see him again for a bit after that.’

It is understood that his team at Kensington Palace are speaking to their opposite numbers at Buckingham Palace about which public engagements William could potentially attend in his father’s place.

They are likely to be along the lines of further investitures and, perhaps, leading the family at events such as the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey early next month.

But with His Majesty insisting on keeping his hand firmly on the tiller of State business during his treatment, it is highly unlikely that the future king will be required to take over any constitutional matters.

It is understood that William, 41, has his father’s ‘100 per cent’ backing in returning at his own pace.

A source said: ‘The King adores Catherine and thinks she is doing a wonderful job. He understands that family comes first.’

The King has been spending an increasing amount of time at Windsor Castle since his accession, often staying over on Sunday evenings, affording him more time with his son and young grandchildren to whom he is growing ever closer. 

William, who now lives in Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate, a short walk from the castle, also often uses rooms in the historic royal residence for meetings.

The Princess of Wales was unexpectedly admitted to hospital last month for what has been described only as ‘abdominal surgery’.

She spent two weeks in The London Clinic, where the King also underwent his prostate operation, and she is unlikely to start undertaking royal duties again until after Easter. 

Aides said at the time that her husband had cancelled all his forthcoming engagements to be by her side and support their children Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight and five-year-old Prince Louis.

While they did not put a timeline on it, sources suggested the Prince would remain at Windsor with them for ‘several weeks’.

William has always made clear that, at this stage in his life, his duty to his family comes ahead of his public role.

However, it is unheard of to have three senior members of the Royal Family out of action at one time, particularly now the King is likely to be away for longer than planned, meaning working royals will be thin on the ground.

And this means there will, inevitably, be more pressure on the future king to step up.

Harry met with his father for the first time in 18 months yesterday – for just 45 minutes – following the King’s shock cancer diagnosis.

Hours after Charles called him personally to break the news, the Duke of Sussex had boarded a plane to London from the US to see him.

But their meeting, at the monarch’s Clarence House residence, lasted less than an hour.

The King, looking remarkably fresh-faced and cheerful despite starting treatment for his unspecified cancer in hospital on Monday, left shortly afterwards by helicopter for Sandringham, his Norfolk estate, with his loyal wife, Queen Camilla.

The Mail understands he is ‘doing well’ and is on ‘very good form’.

William is now completely estranged from Harry following several years of vicious attacks against the monarchy, as well as himself and his wife personally.

Sources made clear that William’s focus is, as it has been for the last few weeks, on the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, and their three children in Windsor.

A source previously told the Mail that the future king respects his father’s decision to ‘keep the door ajar’ for Harry, but that is ‘not an option for him personally for the time being.’

The day of family drama comes after Buckingham Palace announced on Monday night that the 75-year-old monarch had begun immediate treatment after doctors discovered an ‘issue of concern’ while he was undergoing surgery last month for an enlarged prostate, which is itself benign.

Subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer, which has not been specified by royal aides, but has been confirmed not to be prostate cancer, one of the biggest killers of men in the UK.

As a result the King has postponed all his public commitments, although he continues to very much work behind the scenes on his state and constitutional duties.

The Mail revealed yesterday that his condition had been caught at an ‘early stage’ and his prognosis is positive.

His Majesty is said to be ‘looking forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible’.

He rang all close family members personally to break the news to them, including Harry, who was last in the UK for his father’s coronation last May.

However it is not believed that father and son actually met on that occasion, meaning the last time they would have seen each other in person was at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.

They have, however, spoken on the phone, with sources close to Harry seemingly leaking details of a a telephone call he had with his father on his 75th birthday last November and how his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, had recorded a video of them singing happy birthday to the grandfather they have barely met.

The King is known to have been deeply hurt by his youngest son’s many attacks on the family since he and wife Meghan acrimoniously quit as working royals and moved to North America, including their series of tell-all television interviews and documentary series, as well as Harry’s memoir, Spare.

Sources say while the King is exhausted by the drama and wants to focus on his role as monarch, he has insisted on never closing the door on his youngest son.

It is not clear whether he invited Harry to visit him or whether it was the prince’s decision to come, but on Monday night he was seen boarding a a flight in Los Angeles.

He arrived at Heathrow airport’s Windsor VIP suite, which is used by the royal family, where he was greeted by two royal Range Rovers, at least three plain clothed Metropolitan Police royalty protection officers and two police escort cars.

Harry is currently taking legal action against the Home Office for withdrawing his taxpayer funded British police protection when he left the UK, arguing that he and has family do not feel safe in this country without it.

Dressed in a black jacket over what appeared to be a casual black t-shirt, Harry sped through the main gates to Clarence House, having swept past the monarch’s official London residence, Buckingham Palace, at 2.45pm, head was turned firmly to one side.

The King and Queen – whom Harry has recently accused of being ‘dangerous’ and ‘a villain’, much to his father’s anger – were already inside, having taken up residence there on Monday in order for the King to attend hospital.

Royal aides have refused to discuss the meeting at all, although it is understood that fact that it even happened is being seen as a cause for ‘optimism’.

Some believe that the fact that Harry flew to London so quickly and that his father saw him immediately could even suggest the start of a ‘thaw’.

But there was no hiding the fact that it lasted just three quarters of an hour, with the same cars sweeping out with Harry apparently inside, although hidden from view, at 3.32pm.

It is unclear whether he plans to stay in the country or return immediately to California where his wife, Meghan, remained. His spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously stayed at an undisclosed hotel and is unlikely to be offered royal accommodation.

Clearly Charles and Camilla had their bags already packed to leave, as just six minutes later, at 3.38pm, they drove out of the gates too.

The King, looking smart in a suit and patterned tie, looked remarkably healthy and waved and smiled warmly to well-wishers, as did Queen Camilla.

A few minutes later the monarch’s distinctive burgundy helicopter could be seen taking off from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, arriving at Sandringham at 4.20pm.

The Mail understands that it was always the King’s plan to return to his Norfolk estate to recuperate and work quietly, as soon as his first treatment was over.

Yesterday – February 6 – marks the day that his grandfather, King George VI, died at Sandringham House of lung cancer in 1952 and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, acceded the throne.

Sources have said that the King appears to be in great spirits, and ‘if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t suspect there was anything wrong with him’.

He is said to be ‘up and about’, keeping up with the red boxes of official paperwork required of him as head of state.

It is understood His Majesty plans to return to London when treatment is required or if he has important official business, including meetings with the Prime Minister.

However his return to Sandringham yesterday suggests that at least their first normal Wednesday conversation will take place by phone.

His treatment will be interspersed with periods of rest recuperation at one of his country residences including Sandringham, Highgrove in Gloucestershire and Windsor.

It is likely that he will also revert to a Covid-style way of working with more telephone meetings and video calls in order to minimise public contact and protect his health during the early stages of medical intervention.

The Prime Minister yesterday said he was ‘shocked and sad’ at the King’s cancer diagnosis, but insisted ministers would ‘crack on’ with the business of government.

Rishi Sunak, who was informed of the news before it was made public on Monday evening, said he remained ‘in regular contact’ with the monarch ‘and will continue to communicate with him as normal’.

Did your husband fall asleep while you were in excruciating pain during labor, or perhaps he was way too focused on his phone?

According to nurse Sydney, there are eight types of fathers she often sees in the delivery room. Which one is yours?

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In the clip posted to TikTok (@nurse_sydney), the delivery nurse can role-play one of the most common types of fathers.

She puts on an Adidas puffa jacket and a baseball cap and leans back in the chair, with her arms folded and her eyes closed.

“The sleeper,” she notes.

She then plays the role of the father 'who is always on the phone', before showing a photo of an empty chair representing 'the one who is not there'.

A moment later, Sydney comes rushing through the door, breathless and with a bag in hand.

“The one who went to park the car and almost missed the birth,” she says.

You can then see the nurse looking serious with her arms folded as she makes her way from left to right across the room.

“The pacesetter,” she points out.

But if your partner isn't one of the types of dads mentioned above, you might find Sydney chattering into a tissue and suggesting that he might be “the crier.”

Or else, according to the nurse, another common type of partner she sees is “the analyzer of all the machines and medical personnel,” whom she points out are “always the engineers.”

And last but not least: the dream partner for every woman in labor is 'the super supportive partner'.

The post has since gone viral, racking up more than 52,000 views and several comments from moms across the country, all eager to share what type of dad their other half was in the labor ward.

“You forgot the one who fainted,” one joked.

A second commented: “My husband was asleep and walking around the hospital.”

A third wrote: “My copy is missing and crying.”

Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “My husband was asleep but only after I had the epidural and at that point he had been awake for 36 hours.”

Another added: “My friend was a pacer but also stood at the foot of the bed in shock aha.”

A NURSE who fought for her life in a 28-day Covid coma was saved after colleagues used VIAGRA to treat her.

Monica Almeida, 37, was just 72 hours away from turning off her ventilator when doctors came up with the idea of ​​using the erectile dysfunction drug.

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The mother-of-two's oxygen levels needed dropped by half and her condition improved after a week – meaning she came home for Christmas.

Monica has now praised the quick-thinking doctors for using the drug, which opened her airwaves.

The specialist respiratory nurse from Gainsborough Lincs said: 'I was joking with the consultant after I came over as I knew him.

“He told me it was the Viagra. I laughed and thought he was joking, but he said, 'No, really, you had a big dose of Viagra.'

“It was my little Christmas miracle.”

Monica, who treated Covid patients while working for NHS Lincolnshire, tested positive for the disease in October.

The double-shot mother had lost her sense of taste and smell and was coughing up blood on day four of her diagnosis.

After her oxygen levels dropped the next day, she went to the hospital but was discharged with a prescription and no treatment.

Follow our Covid live blog for all the latest news and stories

Within just two hours of returning home, Monica woke up unable to breathe. She was rushed to Lincoln County Hospital where she went straight to the resuscitation room.

Medics tried to return her oxygen levels to normal, but her condition worsened and she was taken to intensive care.

She was put into a coma on November 16 because her condition was so serious that her parents were told they had to fly from Portugal to England to say goodbye.

Monica said: “I could have left at 37, but I think I was a bit of a monkey and kept fighting.”

Since the prognosis looked bleak, doctors decided to use the unusual treatment to help Monica.

The brave Covid victim woke up from her coma on December 14 and was allowed to return home on Christmas Eve.

Viagra has previously been bandied about as a possible way to treat Covid patients, because the little blue pill dilates blood vessels and opens the airways.

Scientists are conducting tests to determine if it can be used in the same way as inhaling nitric oxide, which can increase oxygen levels in the blood.

Viagra could be given to British coronavirus patients if they have agreed to take part in a study to try experimental drugs.

'THE VIAGRA saved me'

Monica said: “It was definitely the Viagra that saved me.

“Within 48 hours it opened up my airwaves and my lungs started responding.

“If you think about how the drug works, it dilates your blood vessels.

“I have asthma and my air sacs needed some help.”

The mother is now recovering at her home, together with her husband Artur and two sons aged nine and fourteen.

She is now urging people to get the vaccine after being told she would have died if she had not been stung.

Covid booster shots offer the best chance of weathering the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

Sun's Jabs Army campaign is helping to get vital extra vaccines into Britons' arms to avert the need for new restrictions.

Monica said: “There are people who say the vaccine has killed people. I don't deny that there are people who react and get bad with the vaccine, but when we look at the number of deaths among unvaccinated people, there is a big message to get your shot.

“It concerns me, especially in Lincolnshire, that people are against the vaccine.

“I never expected to get as sick as I did at the age of 37. I never thought this would happen to me and I want people to take it more seriously.”

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The Health Secretary last night pleaded with militant union bosses to return for talks to prevent devastating nurses' strikes this winter.

Steve Barclay revealed that union bosses had rejected his offer for a final meeting before announcing their first ever national strike.

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And he slammed the chiefs for not showing up during discussions with NHS chiefs on strike relief last week, in a bid to avoid huge shortages as winter pressures hit.

The Health Secretary promised “my door is open” to further discussions in a letter to Pat Cullen, boss of the Royal College of Nursing.

But he insisted ministers could not accept their demands for a staggering 19 percent pay rise in light of the “challenging economic conditions facing our country”.

In a letter to them, he praised hardworking NHS staff and said he was “disappointed” that they had chosen this “unprecedented step” of dramatic strike action.

Mr Barclay wrote: “I must express my deep regret that you have rejected my offer of a meeting and have instead taken the decision to continue announcing strike dates without further discussion.

“I urge you to reconsider your position and come back to the table.

“I, my colleagues across government, as well as the public, appreciate the care provided by nurses across the country and I am disappointed that you have taken this unprecedented step.”

Nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will walk out for two days next month in what is expected to be their biggest strike in history.

Routine services will come under pressure on December 15 and 20 as they take action on pay and patient safety.

It came as union chief Mick Lynch welcomed the news that train cleaners will also join the mass strikes.

RMT chiefs said more than 1,000 workers supported industrial action, demanding higher wages and pensions.

Rail bosses were prepared to offer an eight percent pay rise in a bid to break the ongoing impasse, The Sun understands on Sunday.

But ministers are said to have vetoed the package last night.

An ex-greengrocer and his daughter, who both suffered from poor mental health, are now helping others by qualifying as NHS mental health nurses at the same hospital.

Father and daughter Steven and Stevie-Leigh Jewell graduated within weeks of each other and now both work at Blackpool’s The Harbour, a mental health hospital run by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.

Proud Steven, 42, said it was ‘great’ to work together and support each other – as they had both experienced mental health problems, which inspired them to help others.

While his 22-year-old daughter, also from Blackpool, Lancs, said she was ‘so happy to share the experience with my dad’.

Steven explained, “You’re never too old. Myself and Stevie-Leigh are both very passionate about helping others, it must be a trait that runs in the family!

‘We’ve both experienced poor mental health and I think that’s ultimately why we want to help others.

‘People often ask us who inspired who, but I think it was a collective effort. After talking about our career aspirations together, we both realized we wanted the same thing.

‘It was wonderful to do this together and support each other, albeit through very different graduation paths.’

At The Harbour, Steven works with older adults and Stevie-Leigh with older adults suffering from dementia.

The couple took different paths to their dream job: Steven started working as a healthcare support worker with no previous experience of working in mental health, having mainly worked jobs such as greengrocer.

After gaining valuable experience, he trained as a trainee nurse and eventually completed his nursing training.

While he admitted that starting a new career path later in life can be “daunting,” he said he was supported and encouraged by his colleagues, managers and his daughter “to follow my dreams.”

He added that he now ‘couldn’t be happier’, stressing: ‘I started my own journey four years ago when I joined LSCft (Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust) with no previous experience of working in mental health.

‘I have spent most of my working life in manual labor and retail as a greengrocer.

‘I have always had an interest in mental health, but wasn’t sure what opportunities would be available to someone like me, who had no previous qualifications in nursing or mental health.

“It can be difficult to start a new career path later in life, but I have been supported and encouraged by my colleagues and managers to follow my dreams and it has led me here and I couldn’t be happier.”

Meanwhile, Edgehill University graduate Stevie-Leigh said: “I love my job and I feel so lucky to be able to share this experience with my father.

‘We started studying at the same time, so it feels special to have graduated within a few weeks of each other because we both saw how hard we worked.

‘I am excited about my future working life and the impact I have on people. I love knowing that I am making a difference and helping people live better and reach their full potential, and I know my dad feels the same way.”

Steven, who received high praise during his studies, added: ‘It was great to do this together and support each other.’

Chris Oliver, CEO of LSCft, said: “It is amazing to see Stephen and Stevie-Leigh both completing their studies at the same time and continuing their careers as mental health nurses with us.

“Steven has been named our ‘Student of the Year’ for 2023 and I know he has been an integral part of many recent projects and invaluable in supporting other colleagues currently studying.

‘It is inspiring to see their shared passion, care and compassion clearly run in their family.

“We are extremely lucky to have them working with our older adult service users and I personally can’t wait to see what else Steven and Stevie-Leigh will achieve with us.”