Prince William at Army Air Corps: First visit as the commander of his regiment

Prince William (42) paid an official visit to the Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk for the first time on Wednesday. It is the military base that once played a central role in his brother Prince Harry’s career (40). The Duke of Sussex was originally intended for the post as a regiment leader.

Since 2024, however, the heir to the throne has been the new colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps. William used his inaugural visit to visibly motivated a comprehensive picture of “his” regiment. The unit poses combat helicopters in the British army. He showed particular interest in the experiences from international operations and the new combat helicopter models.

The program also included practical elements: William took part in a martial arts training unit and visited the Archer’s Breakfast, a weekly meeting of the season for military members and their families. He personally distributed rolls. In addition, the Royal presented a royal award for special services and promoted several soldiers from the corporal to the Sergeant.

The appointment of William as a regimental commander of the Army Air Corps caused a significant sensation in 2023. King Charles (76) transferred a position to his older son that many actually saw for his brother Harry. The Duke of Sussex had served in this regiment itself. During his second Afghanistan mission from 2012 to 2013, he served on Apache helicopters. After his resignation from the royal duties in 2020, however, Harry was no longer an option as a regimental commander.

The official handover to William took place in a solemn ceremony in the Army Aviation Center in Hampshire in May 2024. Originally, he was supposed to complete his first visit to the regiment in January of this year, but it had to be postponed due to bad weather.

But Prince William also brings extensive flight experience into his new role: from 2010 to 2013, he served in the search and rescue unit of the Royal Air Force in Wales. He then worked as a rescue helicopter pilot at East Anglian Air ambulance until 2017 before devoting himself to his royal duties. He has no longer supported comparable military responsibility since his end of service.

King Charles, who held the position of the Colonel-in-Chief for 32 years, is entirely convinced of the flying skills of his firstborn. “The great thing is that he is really a very good pilot – that is encouraging!”, He praised William at the handover of the office.