The Prince of Wales made the relatable revelation during his return to work following Princess Kate’s cancer news announcement

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children might crave a favorite kid-friendly dish!

On April 18, the Prince of Wales had his children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — on his mind during a visit to the food distribution charity Surplus to Supper.

The outing marked his first royal duty since the Princess of Wales, 42, announced on March 22 that she is undergoing treatment for cancer.

According to Surplus to Supper volunteer Rachel Candappa, Prince William connected a dish to his three kids when he saw it being prepared at the hub.

“He pointed at the food and said, ‘That’s spaghetti hoops.’ And I asked, ‘How do you know about spaghetti hoops?’ and he said, ‘I’ve got children,’ ” Candappa said, according to The Telegraph.
The pasta mention is no surprise to royal watchers, as celebrity chef Aldo Zilli previously revealed that Prince George’s favorite meal is an elevated spaghetti! “I’m waiting for the call because apparently [Prince William’s] little boy’s favorite is spaghetti carbonara, so I’m waiting for the call to go and cook it for him,” Zilli told the Daily Mail in 2020.

Related: Prince William Promises to ‘Look After’ Kate Middleton amid Cancer Treatment While Receiving Cards for Her and King Charles

Candappa, 71, also surprised the Prince of Wales with cards for his wife, Princess Kate, and his father, King Charles, who are both receiving cancer treatment.

“Oh, some cards, you’re very kind. Thank you very much,” Prince William told Candappa in a video shared to X by Lizzie Robinson of ITV. The Prince of Wales appeared to be moved by the gesture for Princess Kate and the King, who have both postponed public-facing duties to focus on their health.

When Candappa told Prince William to look after his wife, he put a hand on her shoulder and said, “I will,” The Telegraph reported.

Related: Prince William Steps Out for First Royal Duty Since Wife Kate Middleton’s Cancer News

During his stop at the food distribution charity, which operates out of the Sunbury Cricket Club in Sunbury-on-Thames, the Prince of Wales said that Prince Louis “loves” cricket. The comment follows Princess Kate’s revelation that her youngest son is also into rugby and that all three of her kids love to play sports.

“We’re always slightly competitive with each other. They all love sport, and Louis is mad about rugby,” the Princess of Wales said in January 2023 at a reception celebrating the England Wheelchair Rugby League’s World Cup win the year prior, according to the Daily Mirror.

“They are at an age where they just love running around,” she added.

Prince William’s outing to Surplus to Supper was followed by a stop at Hanworth Centre Hub, a nearby youth community center that receives regular deliveries from the food distribution charity.

The engagements were significant as his official return to royal duty following Princess Kate’s announcement about her cancer diagnosis, which coincided with a school break for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Princess of Wales may have strategically waited to make the public announcement until her kids were out of the classroom, and the family skipped the traditional royal trip to church on Easter, which fell about a week later.

Prince William’s outing came the day after his kids returned to the classroom after a half-term break.

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Siobhan Donoghue — the CEO of Perfectly Imperfect CIC, one of the groups that receive provisions from Surplus to Supper — exclusively tells PEOPLE that Prince William was focused on learning about the work they do to tackle food waste during his visit.

“You could see he very much wanted to focus on us and genuinely learn how we impact the community we serve,” Donoghue says. “He said to the young people that they had really helped give him that picture of what we do and how important it is to the community.”

As Prince William wrapped his visit to Hanworth Centre Hub, Donoghue says the staff wished Princess Kate well and handed him a bouquet.

“We had a flower arrangement from the staff and one from the young people and volunteers. He was very thankful that we were asking after her,” she tells PEOPLE.