Prince William, who is already a second lieutenant in the British Army, received Royal Air Force pilot’s wings at a graduation ceremony on Friday, 11 April 2008. As a second lieutenant, the charming prince serves in the Household Cavalry (Blues & Royals). Prince Charles presented the wings to his son including 24 other graduating students in the ceremony, at the Cranwell Airforce base in Northern England.

 

The Royal Prince earned his badge after spending four months with Britain’s Royal Air Force learning to pilot planes and helicopters. British fighter jet pilots spend nearly four years to get fully trained, but the Prince was trained to make him a competent and not operational flier. The study that the Prince is undertaking is designed in a way to prepare him, to eventually be crowned the King of England and hence the ceremonial head of the British Armed Forces.

 

The ceremony was attended by William’s long time girlfriend Kate Middleton. The paparazzi were keener on capturing the two together in the lens. The couple did not disappoint them, when the two walked together after the ceremony though not hand in hand. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales earned his Royal Airforce Wings nearly 35 years ago. The heir to the British throne is hence following the footsteps of the past Royals, a tradition which began with King George VI who became the first Royal to serve in the RAF between 1918 and 1919.