Britain's Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.

In a video message last month, Kate, 42, the Princess of Wales, said tests taken following major abdominal surgery she underwent in January had uncovered cancer, something she described as a "huge shock".

William, 41, has been absent from official engagements since then as the couple and their three young children come to terms with the impact of the news.

Although he and his eldest son Prince George were pictured watching their favourite soccer team Aston Villa play last week, Thursday marks the first time William will make official public appearances since Kate's highly personal announcement.

He is due to see the work of a surplus food redistribution charity before visiting a youth center that receives regular deliveries from that organization.

Kate, often referred to by her maiden name Kate Middleton, will return to public duties herself when her medical team says she is well enough to do so, her office has said, but no timescale has been put on this.

Her illness comes at the same time that William's father King Charles undergoes treatment for an unspecified form of cancer. He has also been absent from public duties since his diagnosis but did greet crowds during a walkabout after an Easter church service at the end of March.