Prince William appeared in his element as he returned to the Royal Air Force College on Thursday to inspect the Sovereign’s Parade on behalf of his father, King Charles.
Still sporting his fan-favourite beard, the Prince of Wales, 42, looked smart in his military gear when attending the ‘wonderful occasion’ in Cranwell, Lincolnshire.
His outing comes after the royal described the end of the Princess of Wales’s chemotherapy treatment as ‘good news’, but added his wife still has ‘a long way to go’.
William, who served seven and a half years in the military, earned his wings back in 2008 at the Royal Fair Force base, with his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton watching on.
Upon his arrival on Thursday, the father-of-three received a Royal Salute and observed a flypast over the college.
Prince William looked smart on Thursday as he sported his military gear for the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell
The Prince of Wales salutes, pictured left, as he attends the Sovereign’s Parade on behalf of King Charles III
Prince William and his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton at the Central Flying School at RAF Cranwell where the royal received his RAF wings in a graduation ceremony, on April 11, 2008
He then inspected the graduates from the Commissioned Warrant Officers Course and Modular Initial Officer Training Course.
The Prince presented four awards before delivering a short speech to congratulate the graduates.
William saw the passing out of 48 Royal Air Force Cadets, alongside four International Officer Cadets from Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan and Uganda.
Following the parade, the royal joins the graduating officers, their friends and families in the College Dining Room to hear about their future careers and their experiences after the 24-week intensive training.
The outing comes after William appeared in public on Tuesday for the first time since Kate shared a deeply personal video and heartfelt message about her health and future.
The prince travelled to Llanelli in South Wales for a solo visit – the day after the princess said she was looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more official engagements in the coming months.
He told wellwisher Pauline Thomas, 74: ‘It’s good news but there is still a long way to go,’ The Sun reported.
Royal fans gathered outside Swiss Valley Community Primary School and offered the prince their best wishes to Kate, with some handing cards for the princess as he thanked everyone for their thoughts.
Still sporting his fan-favourite beard, the Prince of Wales, 42, looked smart in his military gear while appearing at the event on behalf of King Charles
William’s outing (pictured today) comes after the royal described the end of the Princess of Wales’s chemotherapy treatment as ‘good news’, but added his wife still has ‘a long way to go’
Prince William seemed in his element as he attended the Sovereign’s Parade at Royal Air Force College in Cranwell
The Prince appeared to concentrate deeply as he took in what was happening at the event
Prince William presents a trophy to a cadet during the Sovereign’s Parade
William inspected the graduates from the Commissioned Warrant Officers Course and Modular Initial Officer Training Course
Upon his arrival on Thursday, the father-of-three received a Royal Salute and observed a flypast over the college
Kate revealed she has completed her chemotherapy course and is focusing on doing what she can to stay cancer-free, with a ‘renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life’.
A video montage shot in Norfolk over the summer showed William and Kate cuddling as they held hands, and the couple enjoying precious time together outdoors with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis as they walked through woods and played on the beach.
The princess described in a voiceover how the past nine months had been ‘incredibly tough for us as a family’.
Heir to the throne William’s first stop of the day was to meet pupils at the school to hear how they took part in the 2024 Urdd Eisteddfod, the annual festival celebrating Welsh language and culture.
Among them was 10-year-old Ruby Davies, a second language Welsh learner, who went viral earlier in the year for her enthusiastic Eisteddfod win in the individual recital category.
Ruby gave the prince a book of postcards written by the students and friendship bracelets for George, Charlotte and Louis.
William remarked: ‘That’s so sweet. Did you make them together? Did you build them at home and put them all together yourself?
‘Thank you so much Ruby. They’re going to love those, you’ll see them out and about. I’ll keep them away from Louis because he’ll try and steal all his sister’s bits.’
The Prince of Wales inspected the Parade before taking the Salute on behalf of the King
Graduates from the Commissioned Warrant Officers Course and Modular Initial Officer Training Course during the Sovereign’s Parade
Military band members begin to play ahead of the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell
Military band members get ready to play ahead of the Sovereign’s Parade on Thursday
The prince told Ruby: ‘I’ve watched your video a few times Ruby. You did brilliantly, you don’t seem nervous about performing on stage at all.’
Ruby told him she was ‘a little bit’ but also said she was ‘really excited’.
He added: ‘It was very impressive, you’re going to have to teach me how to speak Welsh.’
The prince, with his new beard looking fuller, was met with loud cheers from school children waving Welsh flags as he stepped into the main hall.
One boy informed William he had a bug on him, with the prince asking the youngster, who was a sea cadet, if he wanted to keep it, and then handing it to him.
‘Good spot, it must have followed me here,’ William said.
The prince later visited the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters in Llanelli to mark Air Ambulance Week.
William, who worked as a helicopter pilot with both East Anglian Air Ambulance in Norfolk and RAF Search and Rescue on Anglesey, North Wales, spoke about how much he missed the role, and suggested he would come back and join the Wales Air Ambulance for a weekend.
‘I can’t stop talking about helicopters and medical kits and all sorts,’ the prince said. ‘I’m sorry I take ages waffling about it. I miss it all. I’m quite keen to stay a bit longer.
‘I’m thinking I might come back for a weekend at some point. I saw the Cardiff team a while ago and said to them I’ll come back and join them.’
He was told there were bigger wheels on the trolleys now, with the prince recounting the challenge of the old trolleys rattling around and the problems they faced getting them back into the helicopters.
‘You’ve got better trolleys now… bigger wheels, off-road tyres, crucial,’ William said.
The royal’s final stop was Parc y Scarlets, the home of the Scarlets Rugby Union team.
The prince, who is a patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, met with current and former female players, presenting caps and brooches as part of the Missing Caps campaign, which recognises women who were not acknowledged when they played for Wales.
Liza Burgess, the first woman to captain Wales in 1987, said it was ‘phenomenal’ to have William there.
‘That just shows the interest in this story, he took a real interest, and it was great to have him here to support us in finding those players that don’t have their caps.
‘He was very very interested in the story of the caps but also in the future of the game and women’s health, the advances that have been made in sports science to support women.’
Lowri Morgan, a Welsh television presenter and former player, added that she had asked the prince to give Kate their best wishes.
‘It was wonderful to hear today that her treatment has come to an end and I passed my best wishes to the family.
‘As someone who has been in that position, it is nice to have support, even from strangers like myself.’
