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.
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.
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 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.’
Commandant, College Staff, graduates, and all those gathered here for this wonderful occasion. It is my great honour to be with you today, representing my father, His Majesty The King, to mark this significant milestone in your lives and careers.
I am delighted to see so many family and friends here – I know their love and support will have been instrumental in getting you to this point. Whilst I didn’t graduate on this exact Parade Ground, I did graduate from flying training here so I know something about the celebrations that will come later, so I promise, I’ll only take a few minutes of your time!
I do want to take this moment though, to highlight not only the importance of your achievements to date, but also that of the roles you will play in supporting the futures of your countries’ Air Forces. I say “your countries’”, as I know that in addition to our newest Royal Air Force officers on parade today, there are also officers from Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan and Uganda.
Multi-national relationships are key to international defence, security, and peace.
The relationships you have formed through training, will be key in allowing you to achieve success in future roles, and enhancing the security of all our nations.
The RAF has a distinctive character, spirit, and attitude, that enables you to pull together as a team to deliver air and space power, no matter the challenge or environment.
We live in a time of change and uncertainty, and you, as the future of the Royal Air Force, are the ones who will ensure that we are able to adapt and face future threats.
I am delighted that those on parade today include graduates of the Commissioned Warrant Officers Course, men and women who have risen to the highest non-commissioned ranks, and have kept rising.
We also have Initial Officer trainees, who I know will be eager to get out on Ops for the first time.
But whatever your experience, this parade marks the culmination of many months of hard work and determination. You are now receiving a King’s Commission, into the RAF, and I hope that you are all very proud of what you have achieved.
Whether you now specialise in People Ops, Air and Space Ops, Cyberspace, Medical, Engineering, or Aircrew, you will be leaders in an agile and dynamic force, operating globally at the extremes of home support.
Leading our people to ensure they are always ready to Fly and Fight. On behalf of us all present, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all staff here at the RAF Officer Training Academy. Thank you for your devotion and expertise in instructing, coaching and mentoring these graduates, preparing them to pass out today.
To the families and friends gathered here – thank you for your encouragement and understanding to get these brilliant men and women this far, and for the empathy, compromise, and dedication that will be required to give these officers every chance of success in their careers.
And finally to you, our newest officers, huge congratulations. As you head into your next challenges, allow me to leave you with the words of Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader; “Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this, or that. That’s nonsense… Never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult, or impossible.”
Good luck and thank you.