London: Prince William, the second-in-
line to the British throne, has graduated from his Royal Air
Force helicopter course with flying colours.
The 27-year-old Prince is following in the footsteps
of his father Prince Charles, who served as Royal Navy chopper
pilot, as did his uncle, the Duke of York, during Falklands
War in 1982.
William laughed as his father delivered a humorous
speech, congratulating the graduates, with girlfriend Kate
Middleton listening intently as Prince Charles paid special
tribute to the family, friends and girlfriends present for
their "unwavering support" of the students.
The Prince of Wales was quoted by the 'Daily Express'
as saying: "I know only too well how complicated it can be
having a relative or a close friend in the Forces, because
they are rarely, if ever, around.
"Some of you no doubt will find yourselves in
Afghanistan, others will be plucking people from danger... or
maybe sheep in distress. Cultivate a 'sixth sense, which can
so often keep you out of trouble'."
William, known as Flight Lieutenant Wales, has now
moved one step closer to becoming an RAF search and rescue
pilot, having completed the 12-month advanced helicopter
training course.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 17:22