Prince William expected to cover some of King Charles' duties after cancer news

The confirmation of William’s return will be seen as an attempt to signal stability within the monarchy despite the difficult times facing the royals.

William is expected to carry out duties on behalf of his father (Chris Jackson/PA)

Heir to the British throne Prince William is set to step up to carry out some duties on behalf of his father while King Charles undergoes treatment for cancer.

Prince William is returning to official engagements this week, with Kensington Palace making its own announcement just a few hours before Buckingham Palace shared King Charles' diagnosis with the nation.

The confirmation of Prince William’s return will be seen as an attempt to signal stability within the monarchy despite the difficult times facing the royals.

The prince, 41, is already dealing with his own immediate family’s health troubles, with his wife, Kate, in the early days of recovery after major abdominal surgery.

William, Kate and the and Queen during the service for the presentation of the Honours of Scotland, at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh (Andrew Milligan/PA)

He stepped back temporarily from his royal role three weeks ago to juggle caring for his wife and their children following Kate’s operation.

No date has been set for King Charles' return to full public duties and Kate is expected to be out of action and away from public duties until after Easter.

Pince William, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne will be the key royals holding the fort, along with Sophie and Edward.

It is understood Prince William is likely to undertake some duties on behalf of King Charles in addition to his own diary of engagements, and as a future king and the senior royal in the line of succession, he would be expected to shoulder most of the responsibility.

But King Charles – a known workaholic – will carry on behind the scenes dealing with his famous red boxes – which contain his state business and official papers.

King Charles will also hold his weekly audience with the British Prime Minister and monthly Privy Council meetings, which can both be done remotely.

Charles with his eldest son William on the Madrisa ski slopes, above the Swiss village of Klosters (John Stillwell/PA)

King Charles and Queen Camilla were expected to visit Canada in May, and Australia, New Zealand and Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October.

But King Charles’ illness raises the prospect that Prince William may have to deputise for King Charles, who is head of the Commonwealth, at CHOGM, just like King Charles did for the late Queen Elizabeth in the past.

Other trips could be postponed depending on how King Charles' health progresses.

Forthcoming events that could see Prince William playing a key role include the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey at the start of March and the 80th anniversary of D-Day in June.

Prince William will carry out an investiture at Windsor Castle on Wednesday – which is one of his own regular duties – and also attend the London Air Ambulance annual fundraising evening gala in central London in his role as patron of the charity.

The Prince of Wales invests former footballer Chris Kamara as a Member of the Order of the British Empire at Windsor Castle in March (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Charles called both his sons to inform them of his condition ahead of the public announcement, with Harry preparing to fly to the UK to be with his father despite their troubled relationship.

William, who is in regular contact with Charles, is said to have grown closer to Charles in the wake of Harry’s controversial interviews, documentary and memoir, which saw him launch a flurry of allegations at his family.

It is not yet known whether William will meet his brother during his trip to London, with their long-running rift ongoing.