Prince William, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince William Smiling on Balcony of Buckingham Palace Trooping the Colour 2023

Prince William is carrying on with his royal duties despite his family’s ongoing health battles, and his latest appearance is for a cause close to his heart. On Thursday, the royal attended an event at The Royal Society building in Carlton House Terrace to celebrate the ongoing research of antimicrobial resistance as a part of his patronage of the appeal to create the Fleming Initiative, per People.

The movement is based out of St. Mary’s Hospital, which is significant to William and his family. Both William and his brother, Prince Harry, as well as William and Kate Middleton’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were born at the healthcare facility.

During Thursday’s event, titled The World Together Solving the Antibiotic Emergency, William spoke to other attendees about the dangers of drug resistance and how it can greatly impact children. Representatives from United Nations organizations, Ministers from the Commonwealth, AMR advocates, and survivors were present at the event co-hosted by His Majesty’s Government and The Royal Society. According to Imperial College London, AMR occurs when infection-casing microorganisms become resistant to treatments and medications, such as antibiotics and antifungals.

“Unless we act now and together, the ripple effects of drug resistance will be felt across generations, jeopardizing the wellbeing of our children and our grandchildren,” he said during his speech at the gathering. “I am, however, hopeful. Thanks to the efforts and expertise of a great number of people—including many in this room—we now better understand the scale of the AMR threat.”

Prince William Speaking to Individuals at The Royal Society for the Fleming Initiative 2024

“It is clear that no one nation or sector can tackle AMR alone,” the prince continued. “So, I am delighted to see representation from so many countries here at this conference and look forward to speaking to many of you later about your efforts to tackle this vital issue.”

The Fleming Centre, which is slated to open in Paddington in 2028, will strive to “bring together world-class scientists, clinicians, behavioral researchers, and policymakers, to scope, test, and scale for solutions that will keep global drug-resistant infections at bay,” said William, who first became a patron of the cause in 2023.

Kate Middleton Holding Hands with Prince George and Prince Louis and Prince William Holding Princess Charlotte's Hand Walking at Lambrook School in 2022

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The royal announced the patronage last summer with a video shared to his and Middleton’s joint social media accounts.

“Over one million people a year die as a result of antimicrobial resistance. The Fleming Centre will drive a global movement to tackle it,” the caption read. “Proud to become Patron of the appeal to create this vital centre, which will educate, inspire and catalyse action to solve this problem.”

While his wife continues her cancer treatment, William has been keeping busy with his royal duties, including his new job as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps. However, Middleton remained on his mind during the induction ceremony for his new role, as he was gifted with presents to take back to his wife and three kids.