Prince William proudly displayed five medals on his chest as he joined King Charles and Queen Camilla for the 80th anniversary of the historic D-Day Landings.
The Prince of Wales, 41, stepped out with his father, 75, and stepmother, 76, in Portsmouth, south of England, on Wednesday to mark the poignant occasion.
However, one beloved royal was notably out of action — Kate Middleton.
The Princess of Wales, 42, is still continuing her cancer treatment behind closed doors — and is not expected to return to royal duties anytime soon.
Instead, William — the heir to the throne — represented the both of them at the ceremony, at which he wore a total of five medals, including the Great Master of The Most Honorable Order of the Bath, which marked the first time he has worn it.
His other medals included the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal and the Coronation medal.
William gave a poignant speech at the ceremony, sharing that he was “deeply honored” to join veterans from the Normandy landing.
“We will always remember those who served and those who waved them off,” he said. “The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return.”
“Today we remember the bravery of those who crossed this sea to liberate Europe. Those who ensured that Operation Overlord was a success. And those who waited for their safe return,” the father of three added.
Wednesday’s ceremony was the first of several events the royals are leading to commemorate D-Day this year.
The senior members of the royal family were also joined by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Hollywood actress Helen Mirren.
Charles, 75, also gave a moving speech with Camilla by his side.
“We are all eternally in their debt,” the monarch told veterans and their loved ones in attendance.
“The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity which you have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation, now tragically dwindling to so few.”
“It is our duty to ensure that we and future generations do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom,” he added.
On Thursday, Charles, Camilla and William are set to step out in France to remember the sacrifices made by troops on D-Day.
Later this month, the royal trio is expected to attend Trooping the Colour celebrations at Buckingham Palace.
While Princess Catherine has remained largely out of the public eye since revealing her health woes to the world in March, it’s been reported that she is “considering” making an appearance on the palace balcony on June 15.
