Prince William says he would return to the RAF 'in a heartbeat'

Ben McCaffrey
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:52:13 +0000

Prince William has admitted he misses his role in the RAF and would return "in a heartbeat" after he visited his former air base to mark its 85th anniversary.

William served as a search and rescue helicopter pilot at the Holyhead station between 2010 and 2013, a period during which he and Catherine lived on the island as newlyweds.

The couple celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary today, marking the occasion with a new photo of the family of five.

Sporting the traditional camouflage uniform, the Prince of Wales spoke to trainees at the station on Wednesday.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

"Your time up here will go quickly, that's the thing. You'll look back with fond memories," he advised.

William, who holds the title of Royal Honorary Air Commodore, was candid about what he misses most from his flying days.

"I loved my time up here. It was great fun… I do miss it. I miss the job, I miss the camaraderie."

During the visit, William reunited with former colleagues who remembered him fondly from his operational days.

Pilot instructor Brian Wills revealed the prince's enduring enthusiasm for the role, saying: "In a heartbeat, he said he'd come back and do it again."

The heir to the throne also spoke with chief maritime instructor Andy Batchelor, who flew alongside William on search and rescue missions, and offered warm praise for his former crewmate.

"He's a great guy, friendly, easy to get on with, a very competent pilot," Mr Batchelor recalled.

"He just wanted to be Will, he was just one of the team.

LATEST ROYAL NEWS

Prince William and Catherine mark 15th wedding anniversary with new family photo

Donald Trump reveals why he is 'jealous' of King Charles following Congress address

King Charles makes surprise nod to Prince William and Prince George during State Visit

"It's great to have him back here for the 85th anniversary. He's the Prince of Wales so it makes sense, but I think he's got credibility because he's lived and worked here in North Wales."

Lieutenant Commander Rob Andrews, who trained at the base during William's tenure, observed that the prince maintains a genuine "affinity with this place."

Beyond the anniversary celebrations, William took time to engage with female personnel at the base regarding their experiences serving in the military.

The prince disclosed that certain matters had been brought to his attention which troubled him, and he was seeking "barometer readings" from servicewomen directly.

"Some things have come to my attention that I'm not particularly happy about," he said. "Are we adopting and evolving the Armed Forces in a way that is suiting women joining the forces and is it a nice place to join?"

The women shared their perspectives with William, including the challenges of returning to RAF duties after having children.

The trip came as his father, King Charles III, conducted the second day of his US State Visit, where he performed two rousing speeches and called for "reconciliation" between the two nations.