Prince William Steps Out in Style for London's Who Cares Wins Awards

Prince William praised first responders and emergency personnel for their 'courage' at the Who Cares Wins Awards in London — read more

Royal night out! Prince William arrived in style for a special appearance at The Sun‘s Who Cares Wins Awards on Tuesday, September 14.

The 39-year-old Duke of Cambridge wore a black velvet suit with matching loafers as he stepped out for the London event. His crisp white button-down was adorned with a black bowtie. After greeting guests and chatting with British prime minister Boris Johnson, William took the stage to address the crowd.

“Every day, our emergency services deal with high pressure and challenging situations,” the future king said. “While most of us would, quite naturally, turn away and seek safety, our emergency responders rise to the occasion, running straight toward the danger to provide vital — and often, life-saving — support.”

William noted that those who put their lives on the line for others don’t do it for the praise, but instead, take action “in the name of duty.” When up against their biggest challenges, first responders “face their deepest fears [with] the most astonishing level of courage” to help people in need.

“That is truly heroic,” he raved.

The Who Cares Wins Awards were first held in 2017 and celebrate the hard work of doctors, nurses, midwives, surgeons, volunteers, researchers and charity workers. This year, the gala teamed up with The National Lottery and NHS Charities Together, one of William and Duchess Kate‘s patronages. Kate, 39, did not attend Tuesday’s awards.

Since tying the knot in 2011, the royal couple have put an emphasis on giving back to the community and making a positive impact. As they look forward to one day taking over the throne, they already have big ideas for the future of the royal family.

“William is already thinking about the future of the Monarchy and the changes he’ll make,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in May. “While he respects protocol, he plans to modernize some aspects and is making it his mission to be more relatable than previous generations.”

According to the insider, the pair “have successfully created a healthy balance of openness [in the public eye] while maintaining the sense of mystery that surrounds the royal family and keeps us engaged.” While they aren’t interested in “revealing everything about their personal life,” William and Kate both recognize that “being in the spotlight is part of the job.”

The source told Us, “[William] takes his future role as King and seriously and sees at as a great honor and privilege to be in his position. The Monarchy and his family will always come first.”

William’s dedication to family tradition has been a point of contention between him and his younger brother, Prince Harry, who stepped down from his senior royal role in March 2020 with wife Meghan Markle. During a candid CBS tell-all earlier this year, Harry, 37, claimed that his sibling is “trapped” by his place in the line of succession.

Despite all the drama between him and the Duke of Sussex, who currently resides in California, William has his sights set on being a positive member of the monarchy.

“I think at the moment William and Kate are focusing on their work, focusing on the children, focusing on supporting the queen. I don’t know, but I don’t think they spend a lot of time thinking about the Harry and Meghan situation,” royal expert Nick Bullen told Us exclusively on Tuesday. “I think [over] the next 12 months, the Cambridges will be very much about supporting the queen.”

Scroll down for a closer look at William’s appearance in London: