King praises ‘good pilot’ Prince William as he hands over military role

The King has told the Army Air Corps of his hopes that it will go from “strength to strength” under the colonelcy of his elder son, the Prince of Wales, calling him a “very good pilot indeed”.

The King vouched for the skills of his son and heir during the official handover of his role as Colonel-in-Chief at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, with the pair meeting in front of an Apache for a clear public message of royal continuity.

It is their first official joint engagement since 2022, and has been widely interpreted as a show of support for the Prince of Wales as the King returns to public duties while having treatment for cancer.

“I did just want to say what a great joy it is to be with you, even briefly, on this occasion,” the King said in a speech. “But also, it is tinged with great sadness after 32 years of knowing you all, and admiring all your many activities and your achievements throughout the time that I’ve been lucky enough to be Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.”

After remarking on his “intense admiration” for their operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the “remarkable Apache here”, he added: “All I can say is that having had the pleasure of knowing you for so long, I do hope you’ll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new Colonel-in-Chief.

“The great thing is he’s a very good pilot indeed, so that’s encouraging. So look after yourselves, and I can’t tell you how proud it has made me to have been involved with you all this time.”

During the short ceremony, in which father and son spoke and smiled throughout, the King handed Prince William the regiment’s beret and stable belt in front of the Apache before speaking to serving aircrew.

The Prince of Wales served in the Army as a Platoon Commander in The Blues and Royals, and has completed flying training in the Royal Air Force.

The King’s younger son, the Duke of Sussex, trained as an Apache pilot in the Army Air Corps and flew in Afghanistan in 2012 as a helicopter co-pilot and gunner.

The King and Prince William last undertook an official public engagement shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, when they met members of the public during a walkabout amongst the crowds. They tend to work on different causes to maximise the reach of the working family “Firm”.

Father and son have attended family engagements and semi-private appearances together since then, including the Coronation and Christmas at Sandringham, but have not met in public while the King has been having cancer treatment and the Princess of Wales has been at home ill. This joint engagement has been interpreted by some as a show of unity, after a week of headlines about the King and Prince Harry’s short visit to Britain.

A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex had said at the time that the King had been “too busy” to see his younger son. He did not attend a service for the ten-year anniversary of the Invictus Games with Prince Harry, instead hosting a planned garden party for 8,000 nominated members of the public at Buckingham Palace.

The Prince became the new Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps after the King’s Accession and his appointment was formally announced in August 2023. The role had been held by the King, when he was Prince of Wales, for 31 years.

Later on the visit, the King was met by Lt Gen Sir Nicholas Borton, Colonel Commandant of the Army Air Corps, who escorted him to The Army Flying Museum.

Inside the museum, the 75-year-old King spoke to veterans including Aaron Mappleback, who the King was told had undergone nine weeks intensive chemotherapy for testicular cancer last February and is now almost a year post-treatment.

The King commented on the “loss of taste” when undergoing cancer treatment.

He went on to unveil a plaque to commemorate the arrival of the first Apache AH Mk1 to be installed in a UK museum and gave a short speech.

He then went on a walkabout to greet some schoolchildren from Middle Wallop School, around three-quarters of whom have parents in the regiment.

The Prince of Wales was given three wooden helicopters to take home for his children, along with the tartan wrap for the Princess of Wales and a scarf for himself.