Prince William has arrived in Cornwall for his first set of engagements in the Duchy of Cornwall, in what has been viewed as a positive sign that Princess Kate must be doing well.

The Prince of Wales arrived in the south-west of England on Thursday, where he will spend time in Cornwall before travelling on to the Isle of Scilly on Friday.

It is his first night away from home since it was announced in March that Kate was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after being diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.

Daily Mail columnist Ephraim Hardcastle wrote earlier this week: “It will be the first time that William will have been away overnight since Kate received her cancer diagnosis. He has been at her side and doing the school runs, with his diary modified accordingly.

“His willingness to have a night away is the best indicator yet that the Princess of Wales may be on the mend.”

William arrived Newquay to visit a site in Nansledan to see a new innovative housing project being built. It is designed to address the issue of homelessness.

This groundbreaking project is the first of its kind for the Duchy, which William inherited from his father when Charles became King in 2022.

Inspired by William’s Homewards initiative, which aims to tackle homelessness across the UK, the new homes will be delivered in partnership with local charity St Petrocs to provide 24 homes with wraparound support for those dealing with homelessness.

The land for the project has been offered by the Duchy, which will guide the whole development using its design and management expertise.

Today is the first time that William will see the site, alongside representatives from the Duchy, St Petrocs and Homewards, with hope that the project will inspire other authorities and communities to create something similar.

Construction is due to start in September with the aim for it to be completed by autumn 2025.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “Since the project was announced in February, work on the Innovative Housing Project in Nansledan has been progressing at pace.

“Designs are being finalised and construction is set to start on site in September, with completion by autumn 2025.

“Today marks the first time that the Prince will see the site of the new homes. He is looking forward to hearing from the Duchy team about how the work is progressing and from St Petrocs about the impact the project will have on people experiencing homelessness locally.

“Both His Royal Highness and the Duchy hope that this project will serve as an inspiration to others.”

Later in the afternoon William will visit Fistral Beach, one of the best spots for surfing in Europe, to see how the local community is preparing for the busy summer season ahead.

The focus will be on staying safe in the sea and on the beach, with the Prince set to meet with representatives from two local Surf Life Saving clubs who will be taking part in training drills.

He will then join members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to help them celebrate the organisation’s 200th anniversary.