#London’s Air Ambulance Charity

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Inside William’s Next Act: Tatler’s May issue goes behind the scenes as the Prince of Wales is rising above the noise — and playing the long game

The burden of leadership is falling upon Prince William, but as former BBC Royal Correspondent, Wesley Kerr OBE, explains in Tatler’s May cover story, the future king is taking charge

By Wesley Kerr OBE

21 March 2024

When I first met Prince William in 2009, he asked me if I could tell him how he could win the National Lottery.

It was a jokey quip from someone who has since become the Prince of Wales, the holder of three dukedoms, three earldoms, two baronies and two knighthoods, and heir to the most prestigious throne on earth.

He was, of course, being relatable; I was representing the organisation that had allocated Lottery funding towards the Whitechapel Gallery and he wanted to put me at ease.

William is grand but different, royal but real.

At 6ft 3in, he has the bearing and looks great in uniform after a distinguished, gallant military career.

He will be one of the tallest of Britain’s kings since Edward Longshanks in the 14th century and should one day be crowned sitting above the Stone of Scone that Edward ‘borrowed.’

William, by contrast, has a deep affinity with Scotland and Wales, having lived in both nations and gained solace from the Scottish landscape after his mother died.

He’s popular in America and understands that the Crown’s relationship to the Commonwealth must evolve.

The Prince of Wales has long believed that ‘the Royal Family has to modernise and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant’, as he once said in an interview.

He seeks his own way of being relatable, of benefitting everybody, in the context of an ancient institution undergoing significant challenge and upheaval, as the head of a nation divided by hard times, conflicts abroad, and social and political uncertainty.

We might recognise Shakespeare’s powerful line spoken by Claudius in Hamlet: ‘When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.’

With the triple announcement in January and February of the Princess of Wales’s abdominal surgery and long convalescence, of King Charles’s prostate procedure and then of his cancer diagnosis, the burden of leadership has fallen on 76-year-old Queen Camilla and, crucially, on William.

The Prince of Wales’s time has come to step up; and so he has deftly done.

In recent months, we have seen a fully-fledged deputy head of state putting into practice his long-held ideas, speaking out on the most contentious issue of the day and taking direct action on homelessness.

Last June, he unveiled the multi-agency Homewards initiative with the huge aspiration of ending homelessness, backed with £3 million from his Foundation to spearhead action across the UK.

He is consolidating Heads Together, the long-standing campaign on mental health, and fundraises for charities like London’s Air Ambulance Charity.

He was, of course, once a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance services – a profession that had its downside: seeing people in extremis or at death’s door, he found himself ‘taking home people’s trauma, people’s sadness.’

Tom Cruise was a guest at the recent London’s Air Ambulance Charity fundraiser, William’s first gala event after Kate’s operation.

And more stardust followed when William showed that, even without his wife by his side, he could outclass any movie star at the Baftas.

There’s also his immense aim of helping to ‘repair the planet’ itself with his Earthshot Prize: five annual awards of £1 million for transformative environmental projects with worldwide application.

This project has a laser focus on biodiversity, better air quality, cleaner seas, reducing waste and combating climate change. Similar aims to his father; different means to achieve the goal.

On the issue which has caused huge convulsions – the Middle East conflict – William’s 20 February statement from Kensington Palace grabbed attention.

He said he was ‘deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed.’

There were criticisms – along the lines of ‘the late Queen would have never spoken out like this’ or ‘what right does he have to meddle in politics?’ – but it was hard to disagree with his carefully calibrated words.

His call for peace, the ‘desperate need’ for humanitarian aid, the return of the hostages.

The statement was approved by His Majesty’s Government, likely cleared with the King himself at Sandringham the previous weekend and also backed by the chief rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Ephraim Mirvis.

Indeed, William and Catherine had immediately spoken out on the horrors of 7 October.

William followed up the week after his Kensington Palace statement by visiting a synagogue and sending a ‘powerful message’, according to the chief rabbi, by meeting a Holocaust survivor and condemning anti-Semitism.

This is rooted in deep personal conviction following William’s 2018 visit to Israel and the West Bank, says Valentine Low, the distinguished author of Courtiers and The Times’s royal correspondent of 15 years, who was on that 2018 trip.

‘William was so moved by his visit to Israel and the West Bank, he found it very affecting, and he was not going to drop this issue – he was going to pay attention to it for the rest of his life,’ says Low.

‘He must feel that… not to say something on the most important issue in the world [at that moment] would be a bit odd if you feel so strongly about it.’

There was concern from some commentators about politicising the monarchy, but this rose above the particulars of party politics.

As Prince of Wales, like his father before him, there is perhaps space to speak out sparingly on carefully chosen issues.

On this occasion, his views were in line with majority public opinion.

On homelessness, news came that same week that William was planning to build 24 homes for the homeless on his Duchy of Cornwall estate.

‘William’s impact is very personal,’ says Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, a charity providing emergency accommodation for London’s homeless.

‘Two weeks before Christmas, the prince came to our Resource Centre in Victoria for a Christmas lunch for 150 people.

He was scheduled to stay for an hour, to help serve, wash up, and talk to people.

He ended up staying for two and a quarter hours, during which time he went from table to table and spoke to every single person.’

Clarke continues:

‘William has an ability to listen, talk and to put people at ease. During the November 2020 lockdown, he came on three separate occasions to help.

It gave the team a boost that he took the time; it was his way of saying: “I support you; you’re doing a great job.”’

Seyi Obakin, chief executive of Centrepoint, one of the prince’s best-known causes, adds:

‘People associate his patronage with the big moments like the time he and I slept under Blackfriars Bridge.

The things that stick with me are smaller in scale and the more profound for it – in quieter moments, away from the cameras, where he has volunteered his time.’

It is a different approach from the King’s.

As Prince of Wales, he was involved in the minutiae of dozens of issues at any one time, working into the night to follow up on emails, crafting his speeches, writing or dictating notes.

Add to that much nationwide touring over 40 years (after he left active military service in 1976), fitting in multiple engagements, often being greeted formally by lord lieutenants.

This is not William’s style. He has commended his father’s model, but he does things his own way.

Although patronages are under review, William has up till now far fewer than either his father or his grandparents.

Charles is sympathetic to William’s approach and his desire to make time with his young family sacrosanct.

They are confidantes, attested by the night of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

They were both at Birkhall with Camilla, reviewing funeral arrangements while the rest of the grieving family were nearby at Balmoral, hosted by the Princess Royal.

Charles has had almost six decades in public life and is the senior statesman of our time, with even longer in the spotlight than Joe Biden.

After Eton and St Andrew’s University, where he met Catherine, William served in three branches of the military between 2006 and 2013, finishing as a seasoned and skilled helicopter rescue pilot.

His later employment as an air ambulance pilot stopped in 2017, when he became a full-time working royal.

At that time, not so long ago – with Harry unmarried, Andrew undisgraced, and Philip and Elizabeth still active – William shared the spotlight.

Now, after the King, he’s the key man.

He can look back on the success of his first big campaign initially launched with his wife and brother in 2016: Heads Together.

‘We are delighted that Prince William should have become such a positive and sympathetic advocate for mental health through his Heads Together initiative and now well-established text service, Shout, among other projects,’ says the longtime CEO and founder of Sane, the remarkable Marjorie Wallace CBE.

‘It is not always known that he follows in the footsteps of his father, the King, whose inspiration and vision were vital in the creation of our mental health charity Sane.

As founding patron, he was instrumental in establishing our 365-days-a-year helpline and was a remarkable and selfless support to me in setting up the Prince of Wales International Centre for Sane Research.’

'Indeed,' says Wallace, 'this is where Prince William echoes the work of his father, showing the same ‘understanding and compassion for people struggling through dark and difficult times of their lives and has done much to raise awareness and encourage those affected to speak out and seek help.

We owe a huge debt to His Majesty and the Prince of Wales for their involvement in this still-neglected area.’

Just as I saw all those years ago at that early solo engagement in Whitechapel, William still approaches his public duties with humour and fun.

‘He defuses the formality with jocularity,’ says Valentine Low, citing two public events in 2023 that he witnessed.

In April last year, while on a visit to Birmingham, William randomly answered the phone in an Indian restaurant he was being shown around and took a table booking from a customer – an endearing act of spontaneity.

On his arrival later that day, the unsuspecting diner was surprised to be told exactly whom he had been talking to.

In October, Low reported, William ‘unleashed his inner flirt as he hugged his way through a visit with Caribbean elders [in Cardiff] to mark Black History Month.

As he gave one woman a hug – for longer than she expected – he joked: “I draw the line at kissing.”

And while posing for a group photograph, he prompted gales of laughter when he quipped: “Who is pinching my bottom?”’

Low believes that when William eventually becomes king, he will be more ‘radical’ than his father but wonders if people will respond to ‘call me William’ when ‘the whole point of the Royal Family is mystique and being different.’

However, William has thought deeply about his current role and is prepared for whatever his future holds.

For now, there is a decision to be made on Prince George’s secondary schooling. It’s said that five public schools are being considered, all fee-paying.

Eton is single-sex and boarding but close to home. Marlborough (Catherine’s alma mater) is co-ed and full boarding. And Oundle, St Edward’s Oxford and Bradfield College (close to Kate’s parents) are co-ed with a mix of boarding and day.

As parents, William and Catherine aspire to raise their children ‘as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important’, William said in an interview with the BBC in 2016.

‘Within our family unit, we are a normal family.’ Which may be one reason why he is so resistant to their privacy being compromised either by the media or close family members.

The 19th-century author Walter Bagehot wrote:

‘A family on the throne is an interesting idea also. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life… a princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact, and, as such, it rivets mankind.’

If hereditary monarchy is to survive, it must beguile us but also demonstrate its utility, that it is a force for good.

William said in that 2016 interview, ‘I’m going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime,’ echoing Queen Elizabeth II’s famous Guildhall speech in 1992 ‘that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution – city, monarchy, whatever – should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.’

William saw close up his mother’s ability to bring public focus and her own personal magnetism to any subject or cause she focused on.

He admires his father’s work ethic, the way he ‘really digs down,’ sometimes literally (I understand that gardening is giving the King solace during his cancer treatment).

But the biggest influence for William was Her late Majesty, as he said on her 90th birthday.

As an Eton schoolboy, William made weekend visits to the big house on the hill, being mentored by Granny rather as she had been tutored in the Second World War by the then vice-provost of Eton, Sir Henry Marten.

William said in 2016:

‘In the Queen, I have an extraordinary example of somebody who’s done an enormous amount of good and she’s probably the best role model I could have.’

That said, his aim was ‘finding your own path but with very good examples and guidance around you to support you.'

Queen Elizabeth II had a brilliant way of rising above the fray and usually being either a step ahead of public opinion or in tune with it.

If you are at the helm of affairs in a privileged hereditary position, your duty is to serve and use your pulpit for the benefit of others.

In a democracy, monarchy is accountable.

The scrutiny is intense, with an army of commentators paid for wisdom and hot air about each no-show, parsing each announcement, interpreting each image.

William takes the long view. He has ‘wide horizons,’ says Mick Clarke.

‘There are so many causes that are more palatable and easier to achieve than ending homelessness, but his commitment and drive are 100 per cent.’

The prince seeks a different way of being royal in an ancient institution that must move with the times. His task? To develop something modern in an ever-changing world.

He faces all sorts of new issues – or old issues in new guises.

Noises off from within the family don’t help – Andrew’s difficulties, or the suggestions of prejudice from Montecito a couple of years ago (now seemingly withdrawn), which prompted William’s most vehement soundbite: ‘We’re very much not a racist family.’

William is maybe a new kind of leader who can keep the monarchy relevant and resonant in the coming decades.

Queen Elizabeth II is a powerful exemplar and memory, but she was of her time. William is his own man.

He must overcome and think beyond ‘the unforgiving minute.’

Indeed, he could seek inspiration in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, If.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch[…]

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

This article was first published in the May 2024 issue, on sale Thursday, 28 March.

#Prince William #Prince of Wales #British Royal Family #Wesley Kerr OBE #Edward Longshanks #Homewards #Heads Together #London’s Air Ambulance Charity #East Anglian Air Ambulance #Tom Cruise #BAFTAS #Earthshot Prize #Kensington Palace #King Charles III #Sir Ephraim Mirvis #Valentine Low #Duchy of Cornwall estate #The Passage #Centrepoint #Birkhall #Sane #Marjorie Wallace CBE #Shout #Balmoral #Prince George #Walter Bagehot #Sir Henry Marten #Rudyard Kipling #If

[thewales-family]

The Prince of Wales attends the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner, at The OWO in London, England -February 7th 2024.

#prince william #prince of wales #british royal family #england #2024 #february 2024 #london's air ambulance #london's air ambulance charity gala 2024 #london's air ambulance charity gala #he is so handsome #he looks good #i am sure catherine is feeling so much better #the wales #my edit

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Tom Cruise & Julia Leal Hartogs attend London's Air Ambulance Charity Black & White Gala Ball 2024 at Raffles London at The OWO on February 7, 2024 in London, England.

#Tom Cruise #Julia Leal Hartogs #Air Ambulance Charity #London #OWO #February 7th 2024 #England

[techtalkbyjames]

Raising £ Money$ For Nordoff Robbins and London Air Ambulance...

#cheeky #London air ambulance #charity work

[theroyalsandi]

British Royal Family - The Prince of Wales poses for a photo with US actor Tom Cruise at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner at The OWO in London, England | February 7, 2024

#royaltyedit #theroyalsandi #prince of wales #prince william #tom cruise #british royal family #my gif #top post

[world-of-wales]

The Prince of Wales poses for a group photograph with crewmembers during the London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner, in London || 7 FEBRUARY 2024

#british royal family #british royals #royalty #royals #brf #royal #british royalty #william wales #prince of wales #the prince of wales #prince william #LondonAirAmbulanceGala24 #7022024 #royaltyedit #royalty edit #my edit

[thewales]

The Prince of Wales, Patron of London’s Air Ambulance Charity and Tom Cruise with Air Ambulance Pilots, Doctors and Paramedics. 📸Andrew Parsons /Kensington Palace

#brf #the prince of wales #tom cruise

[kingwilliamv]

07 February 2024 || The Prince of Wales talks with Air Ambulance Pilots, Doctors and Paramedics as he attends the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner at The OWO in London. (📷Getty Images)

#prince william #prince of wales #british royal family #royalty #royals #feb 2024

[mrmrswales]

The London Air Ambulance Charity has launched a new bereavement booklet, which includes a foreword by The Prince of Wales, patron of the charity

"No two experiences of bereavement are ever the same. The sudden and often unexpected loss of a loved one can be profoundly difficult to process, even with the passing of time.

“However, some solace can be found through the sharing of experience. The families who have contributed to this booklet have shared the most precious of memories, thoughts, and feelings. I would like to thank them for opening up and allowing us into their very personal journey.

“I hope that this booklet will provide some comfort and support, and that you might find it useful. For those reading this who are bereaved, and whose world is now very different, my thoughts are with you.”

[houseofbrat]

Timeline of events, Part 1

22 DECEMBER 2023: Rebecca English and Camilla Tominey & Hannah Furness post stories regarding Will & Kate making an official visit to Italy but won’t visit the Pope.

25 DECEMBER 2023: Kate attends the Christmas Day service in Sandringham with the BRF, including George, Charlotte, & Louis.

28 DECEMBER 2023: Convoy spotted heading in the direction of King Edward VII's hospital at 20:30 on twitter.

29 DECEMBER 2023: Kensington Palace posts 2023 montage on instagram and twitter.

09 JANUARY 2024: Buckingham Palace posts tweet wishing Kate a Happy Birthday.

William uses Kensington Palace twitter to acknowledge the passing of JPR Williams.

10 JANUARY 2024: Russell Myers has an “exclusive” regarding Will & Kate’s military trip to Europe in February 2024.

11 JANUARY 2024: William travels to hand out CBEs to Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield.

16 JANUARY 2024: Kate is (allegedly) admitted to The London Clinic on this day.

17 JANUARY 2024: KP announces Kate had successful “planned abdominal surgery” the day prior.

Buckingham Palace announces King Charles will be treated for a “benign prostate condition.”

18 JANUARY 2024: William is photographed leaving The London Clinic.

20 JANUARY 2024: Spanish journalist Concha Calleja says that Kate was hospitalized on 28 December 2023.

Roya Nikkhah reported that Kate’s 30 charities & patronages were not notified until one week before her surgery regarding future engagements.

24 JANUARY 2024: People magazine: “Within their broader circle of family friends, there had been no indication that anything was wrong, and the carefully guarded news about Kate’s situation came as a surprise even to those who work closely with the royal family, PEOPLE understands.”

The Mirror published a story saying “The Princess of Wales "could be your best friend one minute” and “your worst enemy” the next, according to a royal expert.“

Later changed to be a story about Prince Harry.

25 JANUARY 2024: Matt Wilkinson & Harry Goodwin of The Sun report that William has visited Kate in the hospital every day while George, Charlotte, & Louis see their mom, Kate, via FaceTime.

26 JANUARY 2024: King Charles visited Kate while she was in The London Clinic after he was admitted for his BPH procedure. Queen Camilla visits The King in the hospital.

27 JANUARY 2024: Queen Camilla photographed visiting King Charles at The London Clinic.

28 JANUARY 2024: Queen Camilla photographed visiting King Charles at The London Clinic.

Spanish journalist Concha Calleja says Kate is in a coma.

29 JANUARY 2024: Kate leaves The London Clinic but is not photographed leaving. William is not photographed at The London Clinic. Kate’s personal assistant is photographed driving away from The London Clinic with a large bouquet in the passenger’s seat.

Statement issued by Kensington Palace.

King Charles is discharged from The London Clinic.

01 FEBRUARY 2024: Kate Mansey & Simon Hunter of The Times report that an unnamed Kensington Palace spokesperson deny Concha Calleja’s claim that Kate is in a coma.

02 FEBRUARY 2024: Concha Calleja stands by her "coma” story.

05 FEBRUARY 2024: Buckingham Palace announces that King Charles has cancer, the specific diagnosis has not been revealed as of today.

James Sweetnam & Matt Jackson of Express quote an “expert” that says Kate could take up to nine months to recover.

06 FEBRUARY 2024: King Charles & Queen Camilla photographed leaving Clarence House.

07 FEBRUARY 2024: Prince Harry flies to UK to see King Charles.

James Middleton shares a video of his family in the Alps on instagram.

Prince William does his first engagement, an investiture, since Kate’s announced hospitalization.

William attends the London Air Ambulance Charity gala with Tom Cruise. “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, also, for the kind messages of support for Catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. It means a great deal to us all.”

09 FEBRUARY 2024: Richard Eden reports Will & Kate and kids travel to Anmer Hall in Sandringham for half-term break.

10 FEBRUARY 2024: Buckingham Palace posts a thank-you message from King Charles.

11 FEBRUARY 2024: King Charles & Queen Camilla are photographed attending church in Sandringham. No photos of Will, Kate, or their children attending church.

13 FEBRUARY 2024: Photos of Pippa (Middleton) Matthews vacationing with her husband, James, and children in St. Barts hit the Daily Mail.

King Charles & Queen Camilla arrive back in London at Clarence House.

16 FEBRUARY 2024: Writer Gareth Russell posts on Facebook that Kate has been seen outside at Sandringham, and no one took a picture.

17 FEBRUARY 2024: Richard Eden on twitter regarding school visit by Will & Kate with George.

18 FEBRUARY 2024: King Charles & Queen Camilla attend church in Sandringham.

Prince William attends the BAFTAs.

19 FEBRUARY 2024: School begins again at Lambrook for George, Charlotte, and Louis.

20 FEBRUARY 2024: William, The Prince of Wales, releases a statement regarding Gaza and the Middle East.

21 FEBRUARY 2024: King Charles meets with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Buckingham Palace.

Photo exclusive of Pippa and her children in St Barts for the Daily Mail.

23 FEBRUARY 2024: Video of King Charles reading get-well cards from well wishers released.

27 FEBRUARY 2024: William pulls out of King Constantine II of Greece’s service of thanksgiving at Windsor.

Buckingham Palace announces the death of Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor. William’s absence was not related.

28 FEBRUARY 2024: A Kensington Palace spokesperson addresses the “wild conspiracy theories” about Kate in a statement to The Sun: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant.”

29 FEBRUARY 2024: Page Six: Kate Middleton’s team is speaking out in light of the conspiracy theories swirling about the Princess of Wales’ whereabouts following her abdominal surgery in January.

“Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates,” her rep tells Page Six exclusively. “That guidance stands.”

The flak reiterates that Middleton, 42, is “doing well.”

ET Online: Earlier this week when it was revealed William would be missing his godfather’s memorial service, the Palace told ET that Kate, who underwent abdominal surgery in January, continues to be “doing well.” But with the speculation only intensifying, the Palace released another statement to ET on Thursday.  

“We gave guidance two days ago that the Princess of Wales continues to be doing well,” the statement reads. “As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates.”

Tom Sykes of The Daily Beast: A former royal staffer who still has friends and contacts inside the palace said, “Anyone who expects the palace to suddenly start giving lengthy updates on Kate will be disappointed. The principal aim of her being sequestered is to guard her privacy. I’m sure the press hate it because it is working. There is a really, really small bubble of people who know exactly what is going on.”

Prince William visited a central London synagogue, where Kate had been scheduled to visit on Holocaust Remembrance Day (27 Jan 2024).

Jan Moir on Prince William: One day soon he will be the head of the nation, a focus for national identity, unity and pride. So maybe he should stop behaving like a celebrity flake and reign in that impervious attitude along with his indulgent fondness for obsessive secrecy. If this is a sign of what is to come when he ascends the throne, it is very worrying one.

Tom Bower says Kate’s condition is more serious than has been reported previously.

(update from previous timeline here)

#fleet street #media #british royal family #King Charles III #Queen Camilla #Buckingham Palace #palace officials #kensington palace #pr games #strategery #pr fail #scandal! #ESCANDALO!!! #William The Prince of OWN GOALS #William The Weak #William The Terrible #prince william #William The Prince of Wales #Prince & Princess OWN GOALS #kate middleton #Catherine The Princess of Wales #MESS! #my gif #Wales fandom ARMAGEDDON

[charlotte-of-wales]

Happy 41st birthday to William, the Prince of Wales!

Born on June 21 1982, William Arthur Philip Louis is the heir apparent to the British throne as the the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Born in London, William was educated at Wetherby School, Ludgrove School and Eton College. He earned a Master of Arts degree in geography at the University of St Andrews where he met his future spouse, Catherine Middleton. William then trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst prior to serving with the Blues and Royals. In April 2008, William graduated from Royal Air Force College Cranwell, joining the RAF Search and Rescue Force in early 2009. He served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance for two years, starting in July 2015.

William holds patronage with over 30 charitable and military organisations, including the Tusk Trust, Centrepoint, The Passage, Wales Air Ambulance and London's Air Ambulance Charity. He undertakes projects through The Royal Foundation, with his charity work revolving around mental health, conservation, and emergency workers. In December 2014, he founded the "United for Wildlife" initiative, which aims to reduce worldwide illegal wildlife trade. In October 2020, William announced the launch of the Earthshot Prize, a £50 million initiative to incentivise environmental solutions over the next decade.

William was made Duke of Cambridge prior to his wedding to Catherine Middleton in April 2011. He became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay following his father's accession to the throne on 8 September 2022. The following day he was made Prince of Wales, the traditional title for the heir apparent to the British monarch.

William proposed to Catherine Middleton with his mother's engagement ring while on holiday in Kenya; the engagement was announced on 16 November 2010. The wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. The couple has three children:  Prince George (9), Princess Charlotte (8) and Prince Louis (5). The family currently resides in Adelaide Cottage, in Windsor.

#william #royal birthdays

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The Prince of Wales Attends London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner

Prince William talks with US actor Tom Cruise, air ambulance pilots, doctors, and paramedics at the London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner at The OWO on 7 February 2024 in London, England.

📸: Mark Cuthbert / UK Press via Getty Images / Daniel Leal - WPA Pool

—

London's Air Ambulance Charity is a registered charity that operates a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) dedicated to responding to serious trauma emergencies in and around London.

Using a helicopter from 08:00 to sunset and rapid response vehicles by night, the service performs advanced medical interventions at the scene of the incident in life-threatening, time-critical situations.

#Prince William #Prince of Wales #British Royal Family #London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner #London's Air Ambulance Charity #helicopter emergency medical service #advanced medical interventions #air ambulance pilots #doctors #paramedics #health #medical emergency

[thewales-family]

The Prince of Wales attends the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner, at The OWO in London, England -February 7th 2024.

#prince william #prince of wales #british royal family #england #2024 #february 2024 #london's air ambulance #london's air ambulance charity gala 2024 #london's air ambulance charity gala #the wales #my edit

[princesscatherinemiddleton]

The Duke of Cambridge's polo match raised over £1 million for his and the Duchess of Cambridge's charities: Centrepoint, East Anglia Children’s Hospices, Family Action, Fields in Trust, The Forward Trust, London Air Ambulance, Mountain Rescue England & Wales, & Tusk Trust

#mine #royaltyedit #kate #will #polo #guards 22

[theroyalsandi]

British Royal Family - The Prince of Wales delivers a speech during the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner at The OWO in London, England | February 7, 2024

#royaltyedit #theroyalsandi #prince of wales #prince william #british royal family #my gif #top post

[world-of-wales]

PRINCE OF WALES DIARIES ♔

7 FEBRUARY 2024 || LONDON'S AIR AMBULANCE GALA DINNER, LONDON

The Prince of Wales, attended the London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner held in support of the charity's largest ever fundraising campaign,'Up Against Time'.

London's Air Ambulance Charity delivers advanced trauma team to critically injured people in London. The service provides rapid response and cutting-edge medical care for the people who live, work and visit London, bringing the emergency department to the scene of the incident, and have successfully delivered life-saving treatment to over 45,000 people since its foundation in 1989.

William became the organization's Patron of in March 2020 aftersupporting their 30th Anniversary Campaign.

During the event The Prince of Wales, met and spoke with crewmembers, former patients and supporters, before delivering a short speech.

#british royals #royalty #royals #brf #british royal family #royal #british royalty #prince of wales diaries #prince of wales diaries 2024 #prince william #the prince of wales #prince of wales #william wales. #royaltyedit #royalty edit #royalty gifs #royaltygifs #my gifs #7022024 #LondonAirAmbulanceGala24