It’s long been rumored that Prince William would be leaving his position as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot in the near future, and it’s now been confirmed (by anonymous sources, of course) that the move is imminent.
Prince William is set to rejoin his regiment – the Blues and Royals – to fully transition into living in London, after all this time stationed in Wales. The move will make it easier for William not only to undertake more royal duties, but also to be closer to his son and wife. As an added bonus, William will now also carry the rank of Captain, which is the same rank his younger brother – Prince Harry – currently carries.
The new position has not been officially confirmed by Kensington Palace, but a senior military official has said:
“Our understanding is that he will finish with the RAF have some leave that is due and then return to the Blues and Royals and serve with the Mounted Regiment, where he will take an appointment as second in command of a squadron. It is not a difficult role but it requires a lot of attention to detail.”
For the last few years, William and Kate have been living in Wales, where William’s tenure as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot saw he working three 24-hour shifts in a row, with a four day break in between. During his time on shift, he lived in the barracks at RAF Valley, and on his days off lived with Kate in their rented cottage.
Since their marriage, however, Kate has been spending more time in London – a five hour journey from their home in Wales – as she undertakes royal duties of her own. While pregnant with Prince George, Kate spent virtually all of her time in either London or Bucklebury, with her parents, and – as far as we’re aware – did not venture back to Wales once.