Prince William announces first international trip of the year — without Kate Middleton

Prince William will travel overseas without Kate Middleton for his first international trip of the year.

The Prince of Wales announced Wednesday that he uphold his duties as the colonel-in-chief of the Mercian Regiment by going to Estonia next week.

William, 42, will embark on his journey to the Baltic state bordering Russia on March 20 and leave the next day in a show of support for British troops stationed on the frontline of NATO’s defense against Russia.

William’s visit, which marks his first trip to Estonia, is part of Operation Cabrit, which is “the name of the UK operational deployment to Estonia where British troops are leading a multinational battlegroup as part of the enhanced Forward Presence,” according to the British Army’s website.

“UK Armed Forces have a leading role in NATO’s eFP in the Baltic States, in order to enhance Euro-Atlantic security, reassure our Allies and deter our adversaries.”

William will spend time in the capital city of Tallinn and is expected to learn more about Estonia’s response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as well as Estonia’s renewable energy and technology innovations.

He will also meet Ukrainian families displaced by the war and visit the British troops bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.

While the trip has been planned for months, it seems especially important, as Ukraine is set to begin the US-proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia.

Royal sources told the BBC Wednesday that the jaunt is part of the “evolution of Prince William as a global statesman” where he can show his “support for the leadership in the UK and the troops we have based at the fringes of Russia.”

William, who is expected to become commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces upon his ascension to the British throne, will be traveling on his own following Middleton’s battle with cancer.

The Princess of Wales, 43, revealed in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer after being notably absent from the public eye for months.

Middleton slowly returned to conducting some of her in-person royal duties and revealed in January that she was in remission after completing her cancer treatments.