The Prince of Wales was all smiles at the Commonwealth Day service as he made his first public appearance since his wife admitted to 'editing' their Mother's Day photo.
The event honoring the family of nations is a key part of the royal year but has been overshadowed by the Princess of Wales's statement that she manipulated a family photo released on Sunday.
The prince, who was seen with Kate in his car while in London, arrived at Westminster Abbey alone in the presence of the Queen and was greeted by the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, who shook hands with the senior cleric.
William was introduced to the abbey's chapter, or governing body, shaking hands with them as he worked his way through the line of clergy.
Missing was the king, who continues to receive treatment for cancer, but in his annual address to the family of nations he vowed to continue serving the Commonwealth "to the best of my ability".
Since his cancer diagnosis was announced on February 5, Charles has postponed all public duties, but he continues to work behind the scenes on his red boxes of government papers and hold some in-person meetings.
His speech highlighted how 'diversity' was the Commonwealth's most important 'strength', and that the union of 56 member states was a 'precious source of strength, inspiration and pride' for him.
Charles said in the video message: "Over the past few weeks I have been very deeply touched by your wonderfully kind and thoughtful good wishes for my health and in return I can only continue to serve you, to the best of my ability, throughout this period. Commonwealth."
Camilla and William were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.
The royals greeted each other warmly before lining up for the procession to their seats.
The prince gave Edward a friendly pat on the arm and a kiss on both cheeks before talking to his aunts Anne and Sophie and uncle.
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As Camilla, dressed in a turquoise coat and hat, approached, William was seen saying 'hello' to his stepmother before walking forward to kiss her on both cheeks.
They smiled and chatted for a few moments as they stood side by side at the head of the royal party.
Camilla looked back, as if to check if the other members of the monarchy were present, and when the national anthem started, all the royals sang.
The annual celebration will explore the theme of resilience at a time when the royal family has faced a barrage of health problems.
The 2,000 guests included the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Scotland, the President of Malta, Foreign Ministers, High Commissioners, senior politicians and dignitaries from across the Commonwealth and faith leaders, as well as schoolchildren and young people from across the United Kingdom .
The service, which marked the 75th anniversary of the Family of Nations, featured performers from across the Commonwealth, including a dance troupe from Uganda who delighted the royals.
The front row of Camilla, William, Edward, Sophie and Anne smiled and laughed as the youngsters, who featured on Britain's Got Talent, spun and jumped.
Protesters from the Republic campaign group had earlier gathered outside, near the abbey.
The demonstrators carried bright yellow signs with the slogan 'Down with the Crown'.
Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, said: "The Royal Family must stop using the Commonwealth as a tool for their own PR.
"The platitudes we hear from Charles and Camilla only serve to obscure the serious concerns about human rights abuses and a lack of democracy in many Commonwealth countries."
He added: "The Royal Family funded, promoted and defended slavery for centuries, and then ran an empire that caused untold damage to people's lives that continues to impact today.
"Reparations are a reasonable demand. As a hereditary monarch, Charles can hardly claim that what his ancestors did has nothing to do with him."
Among the guests was former Spice Girl Geri Horner. Her husband Christian Horner, boss of Formula 1 team Red Bull, was recently investigated following an allegation of "inappropriate behaviour", which was later dismissed.
Sir Ben Okri, the Booker Prize-winning poet and novelist, read his prose piece Transcending History and told the audience: "You never know what happens when people interact for historical, cultural reasons.
"Families are not only formed by blood, but also by affinity. No family is ever safe without the mortar of respect, without the pull of affection."
After the prayers and hymns, the royal family met some of those who performed at the event, and William could not contain his joy when he met Akrama Muyamja, a 14-year-old performer from the Ghetto Kids dance group.
Speaking about the teenager, he told another guest in the line-up: "This guy was the star of the show - the hip movement.
"He was incredible and the big smile while he was doing it."
A few minutes later, his words were echoed by Edward, who told the teen: "That winning smile - a bit cheeky."
Later, the Queen attended the annual Commonwealth Day evening reception hosted by Baroness Scotland, the family of the country's Secretary General.
High Commissioners from around the world chatted with the Queen at London's Marlborough House, home of the Commonwealth's civil service.
Entertainment reflected the countries in attendance, with Camilla stopping to chat with South African artists and others from Samoa, the country that will host the next meeting of Commonwealth leaders later this year.
