This is the moment the Prince of Wales was asked ‘William, how’s Catherine?’ during his visit to Wrexham while his wife continues to recover from abdominal surgery.

Prince William did not respond to the question while walking into Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground during a trip to mark St David’s Day last Friday.

As he made his way into the stadium, the heir to the throne was asked by another fan ‘Can I get a selfie please?’ – but said: ‘Can I say hello to the team? I’ll come back.’

Kate is away from official royal engagements until after Easter after major surgery in January, with Kensington Palace insisting last week that she was still ‘doing well’. She has not been seen at any royal events since attending church at Sandringham on Christmas Day with William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

Prince William was firstly asked ‘can I get a selfie please?’ as he walked into the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham last Friday – but said: ‘Can I say hello to the team? I’ll come back.’

The Prince was then asked ‘William, how’s Catherine’ – but walked away without responding

Later in the visit, William thanked a group of schoolchildren for giving him a bouquet of flowers for Kate while visiting All Saints ‘ Primary School in the Welsh city.

They gave him Welsh dragon toys for his three children – and then flowers for Kate. The Prince told them: ‘I’ll pass them onto Catherine as well, thank you very much.’

Also during the trip, he poured a pint and downed a whisky with Hollywood star Rob McElhenney at The Turf pub next to Wrexham AFC – the world’s oldest pub at a sports stadium, which featured in the Disney+ ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series.

Last Tuesday, William pulled out of a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at Windsor Castle due to an unspecified ‘personal matter’.

In the latest statement on Kate, a royal spokesman said last week: ‘Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.’

Last month William thanked the public for their ‘kind messages of support’ as he spoke at an event in London about Kate and the King’s cancer diagnosis.

William’s words of praise, delivered during a fundraising dinner, recognised those who wished Kate well. He told the guests: ‘It means a great deal to us all.’

Kate left hospital on January 29 and returned to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor to be reunited with her children almost two weeks after having the surgery.

She had been admitted to the London Clinic – the same private hospital where the King was treated for an enlarged prostate – for a planned operation on January 16.

William temporarily stepped back from his royal role to juggle caring for her and their children, but carried out engagements in Wrexham and at a synagogue in London last week.

It is understood that Kate’s return to official duties will depend on medical advice nearer the time.

The exact details of the Princess’s condition have not been revealed but the Palace said previously it was not cancer-related and that Kate wished her personal medical information to remain private.

News of the Princess’s surgery was announced by Kensington Palace on January 17, with Buckingham Palace triggering a double royal health scare 90 minutes later when it revealed the King was to be treated in hospital for an enlarged prostate.

Kate is currently under the careful watch of royal doctors and is benefiting from the London Clinic’s aftercare, with dedicated physiotherapists on hand with a personalised plan and a video check-up at home with a nurse specialist on offer.

NHS advice about recovering from abdominal surgery says that, after a major operation with a large incision, it takes two to three months to be able to move around comfortably.

The family live at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park and are being supported by their staff, including loyal, long-standing nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.

Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and siblings, Pippa Matthews and James Middleton, are also thought to be hands-on at the moment in helping the Waleses navigate this period as the princess recovers.

Aides previously insisted that Kate would be out of sight until after Easter, but she is likely to be working behind the scenes on her early years projects.