Prince William's Service in the Royal Air Force


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I'm really so proud of William, he is such an asset to the royal family and the uk!
 
Patra said:
I'm really so proud of William, he is such an asset to the royal family and the uk!
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I share your sentiments. He strikes me as someone who's not afraid of hard work and getting his hands a little dirty. That was evident when he visited Royal Marsden Hospital, and was willing to roll us his shirt sleeves, literally and figuratively and get down with the kids. I work as a special educator, and I can't tell you how many people (especially young student teachers and interns) just sit there and wait for the day to pass, instead of helping out. It's refreshing to see a person from the privileged lifestyle want to be productive and helpful.
 
If doing his job is something to be proud of then sure, yes he has a rather difficult job but so do the thousands of other people in the military but they don't make front page news every time they save someone. Like everyone else in the British military he is an asset, but he couldn't do what he does without a lot of help from other people. As for being an asset to the RF, IMO we have to wait and see for that, so far he's showed up at a few sparkly premiers, attended the occasional regular royal event, participated in his wedding tour (nothing unusual) and appeared again, occasionally, for the charities he supports then he's hopped, either back to CH or now to Wales.
 
Lumutqueen said:
If doing his job is something to be proud of then sure, yes he has a rather difficult job but so do the thousands of other people in the military but they don't make front page news every time they save someone. Like everyone else in the British military he is an asset, but he couldn't do what he does without a lot of help from other people. As for being an asset to the RF, IMO we have to wait and see for that, so far he's showed up at a few sparkly premiers, attended the occasional regular royal event, participated in his wedding tour (nothing unusual) and appeared again, occasionally, for the charities he supports then he's hopped, either back to CH or now to Wales.
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I don't think anyone is trying to imply that the thousands of other people in the military aren't something to be proud of but honestly, not many royals have pursued a career in the military to such a degree that William has and it seems he and his coworkers get along great and are obviously a great team since they've already helped so many. As for his royal work he hasn't just shown up to a few premieres and done normal tours. Since when has any royal done such a hectic tour so quickly after their wedding and so well if I do say so myself. As well as in the past few years William really has uped his interest in his charities and seems to be way more comfortable and more hands on then he was prior. And from what I've read his appearances have been doing wonders for example the appearance to the red cross boosted interest and donations. As for him hoping back to Wales he has to cause he has a job or prior to that he had training to do. William is 2nd in line to the throne I don't see the need to rush and I think for what he's done up to this point yes we should be proud of him. I'm not saying the others don't deserve credit as well all the members of the BRF do great work but when credit is due I think we should give it. Sorry rant done :lol: went on a bit longer then I expected.
 
ghost_night554 said:
not many royals have pursued a career in the military to such a degree that William has
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Except, his father who embarked on an extensive Naval and RAF career, his grandfather fought during the war in the Navy and of course his Uncle Andrew who served aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible during the Falklands War. William is following in the footsteps of his male relatives, which although admirable, for me it's just what's expected of him.
 
Lumutqueen said:
Prince William arrives in Falklands for tour of duty amid simmering tensions between Britain and Argentina | Mail Online
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This is so silly.
Domestic politics when it's bad.

As if the Argentinians, and British too for that matter, haven't got more important things to worry about.

I thought in our day and age it was up to the locals to decide whether they want to change nationality or not. As far as I know the inhabitants on the islands are British and wish to remain so. And the Falklands has never belonged to Argentina.

The Africans were wise when they decided not to dispute the current borders left from the colonialism, however impractical they may be.
 
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Lumutqueen said:
Except, his father who embarked on an extensive Naval and RAF career, his grandfather fought during the war in the Navy and of course his Uncle Andrew who served aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible during the Falklands War. William is following in the footsteps of his male relatives, which although admirable, for me it's just what's expected of him.
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Add three great-grandfathers (George VI who served in the RN during WWI especially at the Battle of Jutland, Prince Andrew of Greece who served in the Greek army and Prince Louis of Battenburg who served in the RN rising to the rank of First Sea Lord but being forced to step down in 1914) and George V who also served in the RN from age about 12 until his older brother's early death.

Service in the military is the norm for royal men - nothing exceptional there. The odd one out is actually Edward not those who did serve but the one who didn't. In the 20th and 21st Century the following British HRH Princes have not served in the military - HRH Prince John - died aged 13, HRH Prince William of Gloucester, died aged 30, HRH Prince Richard currently The Duke of Gloucester and HRH Prince Edward, currently Earl of Wessex although he did start military training with the Marines but didn't finish the course. So 4 out of 15 haven't served and interestingly two of them are the Gloucester princes and 1 died before he reached military serving age. I have counted George V who started the 20th Century as HRH The Duke or York because he had seen service for a large part of his life up to his late 20s having joined the navy in his early teens.

Of course the last member of the British royal family who clearly was put in harm's way was the late Duke of Kent who was KIA during WWII - the King's brother, uncle of the present Queen (not to mention first cousin-in-law to Philip) and father of the present Duke, Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael whose birth had only been weeks before.

To suggest that William is somehow doing something special because he is doing military service and is a royal is simply wrong. To think he is doing more than Charles or Andrew did while they were serving is also wrong. Both of them also carried out royal duties while they were serving officers, and because they were in the navy these duties were often in foreign ports while they were on liberty - not always but often.
 
Muhler said:
This is so silly.
Domestic politics when it's bad.

As if the Argentinians, and British too for that matter, haven't got more important things to worry about.

I thought in our day and age it was up to the locals to decide whether they want to change nationality or not. As far as I know the inhabitants on the islands are British and wish to remain so. And the Falklands has never belonged to Argentina.

The Africans were wise when they decided not to dispute the current borders left from the colonialism, however impractical they may be.
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If the population are british descendants, 8 generation I think, it is quite ovbious thet they want to remain so. The problem is they are occupying a territory that has been claimed for more than 100 years, and at the moment the issue is being discussed by the Comittee on Decolonization.
Malvinas islands belong to Argentina historically and geographically. They were discovered by Spanish sailors, then the British arrived and funded another port, and the dispute with Spain went over the years. Spain made the English abandon. Argentinians settled in the islands in 1830, which were inherited as part of the territories conquered by the Spaniards. Then the British came back and stole them as they made so many time around the world. To make it short.

I don´t want to get into a discussion about this because this is all very painful, and this display of military power, unnecessary. I don´t know which porblems the PM is trying to cover at home, but PW´s visit 30 years after the war was not the best idea and is clearly a provocation.
 
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Prince William is not on a visit, it's not a royal engagement nor is it a holiday. It's part of his training.
This isn't the right place to discuss the ins and outs of the Falklands.
 
rosana said:
If the population are british descendants, 8 generation I think, it is quite ovbious thet they want to remain so. The problem is they are occupying a territory that has been claimed for more than 100 years, and at the moment the issue is being discussed by the Comittee on Decolonization.
Malvinas islands belong to Argentina historically and geographically. They were discovered by Spanish sailors, then the British arrived and funded another port, and the dispute with Spain went over the years. Spain made the English abandon. Argentinians settled in the islands in 1830, which were inherited as part of the territories conquered by the Spaniards. Then the British came back and stole them as they made so many time around the world. To make it short.

I don´t want to get into a discussion about this because this is all very painful, and this display of military power, unnecessary. I don´t know which porblems the PM is trying to cover at home, but PW´s visit 30 years after the war was not the best idea and is clearly a provocation.
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Thank you, Rosana.

I come from a country which historically has lost lands due to foreign conquests.
That was in the past.
I'm sorry if I offend Argentinian members of this forum, but to lay claims on islands where the local population do not wish to change sovereignty is silly.

It would in my eyes be wiser in the long run, not to mention a magnificent gesture, if the Argentinian President was to invite Prince William to Argentina as a sign of reconsilliation. And allow him pay respect to the Argentinian casualties of that most unfortunate war. - Instead of beating the drums.

What does the Argentinian President propose to do with the current islanders of the Falklands/Malvinas should Argentina take over? Evict them?

We have enough conflicts in this world, there is no need to start another.
 
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Another question would be what problems (rising inflation, increased costs of oil, gas & electricity) in Argentina is the President trying to distract from by raising the issue of the Falklands? The inhabitants of those islands seem to wish to remain as they are and not to become part of Argentina and surely they should have the final say on the matter. Also, William is not on an official visit to the islands. He is there as part of his SAR training and service, just like others regularly do. He will not be undertaking official engagements during his 6 weeks of training in the South Atlantic, just his training and regular service work.
 
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rosana said:
I don´t want to get into a discussion about this because this is all very painful, and this display of military power, unnecessary. I don´t know which porblems the PM is trying to cover at home, but PW´s visit 30 years after the war was not the best idea and is clearly a provocation.
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This is NOT a display of military power. The British SAR work in The Falklands all the time. This is simply the normal rotation of a serving officer undertaking the standard deployment within his unit.
 
This isn't really news. This has been reported a number of times over that last few years.

However, if he stays in the RAF and doesn't start being a full-time working royal until he becomes the heir apparent, which could be 15 years away, the only working royals will be those over 60 by then.

The BRF do need some fresh blood on the rubber chicken/entertainment circuit. Currently the only ones under 50 who do full-time duties are Edward and Sophie. It is an aging firm and all businesses need younger workers to move forward.

As the York girls aren't wanted there is no one else in the younger generation so William and Kate will have to start sooner rather than later.

The SAR will be civilian only in 2016 which would allow William an extra three years to what was originally planned and that would probably be suitable to everyone.
 
I've always thought that William as being very happy with what he does with SAR and if he wasn't a royal, he'd make a life long career out of it by choice.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with his wanting to stay on and work with SAR for another 3 years or so. With the way his on base roster scheduling works, it does leave available times for him to do plenty of royal duties and engagements as needed. It also provides a more private and "normal" environment in which to start a family without the glare of the limelight 24/7 on them.

I'm sure also that William is very much aware of how things could change at any given minute as we've seen lately with the DoE"s health problems at Christmas time. I don't believe that William would ever back away or shirk from doing what he knows is his destiny but will take every opportunity to live a life of his own choosing until the time comes when he needs to swim in the proverbial royal fishbowl.
 
I think this is a wise choice, especially since him and Catherine would like to start a family. William knows what it's like growing up in spotlight and having to smile and wave at the age of three on his first day at nursery school, and more than likely doesn't want that for his own children. I think this will provide all involved with a more peaceful lifestyle just for a little longer, and as Osipi pointed out, his work schedule provides him enough time to do public engagements, and with Catherine's charities, there's no reason that she couldn't step out and do some engagements even when William is on duty.
 
I don't see a problem with William maintaining his current full time job. Unless the family decides that there needs to be a shift in duties to accommodate the Queen and Philip's growing older and need to slow down a bit. That would mean Charles would have to take over some of her duties, or the duties would be spread out evenly amongst Charles, William, Harry, Anne etc. There is also the fact that Charles and Camilla aren't spring chickens either to consider.
 
Currently the youngest full-time working royal is Sophie who has just turned 47.

That is the biggest problem for me - that this business has no full-time workers under 47 and only two under 50.

If anyone truly thinks that William and Kate will be able to raise their children without the glare of publicity just because he is working in Wales they are delusional - the press won't let them so unless they intend on keeping them locked away inside their houses all the time the youngsters will need to get used to the press. The press might let them have some privacy in Wales but once their are kids - all bets will be off - just as they will be once Kate announces that she is pregnant.
 
Isn't the whole "Firm" scaling down, though? Isn't there concern that all their official duties cost the taxpayers money (when it's official, don't the taxpayers pay incidentals and security?) That's what people here keep saying anyway. It's just U.K., I suppose, who pays those expenses - but it's often people with U.K. locations here on tRF's that are impatient about the expenses.

Perhaps the thought is that if the younger ones don't get used to the "freebies" of traveling around, they won't miss it.

But it seems that there could be a feeling among younger royals that it's actually work, it's intrusive - and just getting "free trips" here and there might not be worth it.

Monarchy continually evolves, that's for sure.
 
Iluvbertie said:
If anyone truly thinks that William and Kate will be able to raise their children without the glare of publicity just because he is working in Wales they are delusional - the press won't let them so unless they intend on keeping them locked away inside their houses all the time the youngsters will need to get used to the press. The press might let them have some privacy in Wales but once their are kids - all bets will be off - just as they will be once Kate announces that she is pregnant.
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I actually think the press over the years has learned that William's feelings towards them is not an overly fond one and its been said that he can be quite stubborn about things when he wants to be. I've yet to see a picture released of Will's day to day life in Wales and there's been relatively few pictures of Kate out and about while there.. even when she's in a public place. I believe William is very adamant about the press hounding his family as they had his mother and the press does not want to be on his bad side. I think in Wales, they will be more or less allowed to raise their children in relative privacy even if its only for a few years. Its those first few years with small ones that really create the bonds of a family and I would hope that the press has the sense of decency enough to respect that. When you really think about it, the press has been focused more and more on Pippa's movements and such and to me that reflects the hands-off policy where Wills and Kate are concerned.

I think in the future it most likely will be that the Cambridge's private life will be as sacrosant as the Queen's with a clear distinction between public and private life.
 
PrincessKaimi said:
Isn't the whole "Firm" scaling down, though? Isn't there concern that all their official duties cost the taxpayers money (when it's official, don't the taxpayers pay incidentals and security?) That's what people here keep saying anyway. It's just U.K., I suppose, who pays those expenses - but it's often people with U.K. locations here on tRF's that are impatient about the expenses..
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We don't know if the firm is scaling down, it was an idea of Charles which seems to be put in place, such as with the York girls but we don't know how things will pan out when he realises there will be a huge gap in engagements when he gets older.
There's always been concern about the royals and taxpayers money, particularly from people who read the Daily Mail and who often don't live in the UK.
 
:previous: You know, it's funny but I keep hearing that Charles is scaling back, kicking out the York Princesses, cutting back on perhaps even his siblings and just leaving him and his sons and yet . . . . nobody can quote a source. I mean Charles isn't the King, and when we first started hearing it 10-15 years ago, he was even further from the throne.

It does not make sense. If William is saying he wants to stay in the Air Force for a few more years it would seem that he wouldn't even intimate such a thing unless he had the approval of his grandmother and father which makes no sense in view of the great cutback.

Hmm. Makes you think!
 
William (and Kate) will probably have to take on an increasing number of engagements as time passes.
I don't see how Phillip and the Queen will be able to maintain their heavy schedules indefinitely!

There are others who can work in SAR; William is needed to support his family.
 
Does Prince William get any time off during his tour in the Faulklands?
 
Mirabel said:
William (and Kate) will probably have to take on an increasing number of engagements as time passes.
I don't see how Phillip and the Queen will be able to maintain their heavy schedules indefinitely!

There are others who can work in SAR; William is needed to support his family.
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Its not like he does not undertake engagements while still doing service in the SAR. In 2011 he visited Australia, NZ, Canada, USA as well as undertaking engagements in the UK. In 2012 he and Catherine will undertake a tour in Asia and the Pacific as well as engagements in support of the Olympics. Serving in the SAR is not exactly shirking his duty to Queen and country.
 
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NGalitzine said:
Serving in the SAR is not exactly shirking his duty to Queen and country.
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In fact, I would say that serving in SAR is doing duty to Queen and country on the other end of the candle. :D

Patra: I am almost positive that William will have off times while he's in the Fauklands just as he did in Anglesly. From what I've gathered, the way duty is rotated is that you're "on station" for 24 hours and then off. That is the normal crew. I don't believe I've read anywhere whether or not there are training classes of any kind. I'm sure the base is well planned to include things to do on downtime such as what most servicemen have as in sports facilities, maybe a bar or social club and shopping facilities. I'm not sure how much William will venture into the local areas though, he might prefer to just stay on base. I really doubt that we'll be hearing too much about his adventures while he's there.
 
:previous: I agree. Any appearance off base would have to be well thought out and planned to the nth degree. Prince William strolling the local streets could be interpreted exceptionally negatively, diplomatically speaking.

That being said, I somehow don't see him leaving that tiny little outpost without showing the flag and that a member of their royal family is present on the island. I'm guessing it will be a masterly balancing act of diplomacy with a sighting just before he is due to leave. Anything more would be deemed "provocative".
 
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