Prince William steps in for King Charles after 'good news' about Kate Middleton

Prince William at RAF Cranwell today
-Credit: (Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)


Prince William proudly exhibited his increasingly signature beard, along with his military regalia, as he stepped in for King Charles at a major military happening today.

The Prince of Wales was present at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, where he attended the Sovereign's Parade representing his dad. This location is particularly special to William and Kate, as this is the spot where he received his Royal Air Force wings in 2008, with a supportive Kate in attendance, long before she became Duchess of Cambridge.

At the ceremony, William flew solo while performing official duties like taking the salute, inspecting the front rank, and extending congratulations to the new graduates at the prestigious base. Clad in his full RAF attire complemented by his now talked-about beard, which seems well on its way to becoming a stable characteristic following its debut earlier this year.

Additionally, William delivered heartfelt words of praise to the graduates, expressing his pride in standing in for the King. His sentiments were warm as he addressed the new RAF finishers: "It is my great honour to be with you today, representing my father, His Majesty The King, to mark this significant milestone in your lives and careers."

"I am delighted to see so many family and friends here I know their love and support will have been instrumental in getting you to this point. Whilst I didn't graduate on this exact Parade Ground, I did graduate from flying training here so I know something about the celebrations that will come later, so I promise, I'll only take a few minutes of your time! ", reports the Mirror.

"I do want to take this moment though, to highlight not only the importance of your achievements to date but also that of the roles you will play in supporting the futures of your countries' Air Forces. I say 'your countries', as I know that in addition to our newest Royal Air Force officers on parade today, there are also officers from Jordan, Kenya, Pakistan and Uganda. Multi-national relationships are key to international defence, security, and peace."

"The relationships you have formed through training will be key in allowing you to achieve success in future roles and enhancing the security of all our nations. The RAF has a distinctive character, spirit, and attitude, that enables you to pull together as a team to deliver air and space power, no matter the challenge or environment."

"We live in a time of change and uncertainty, and you, as the future of the Royal Air Force, are the ones who will ensure that we are able to adapt and face future threats."

The prince travelled to Llanelli in South Wales on Tuesday for the solo visit the day after the princess said she was looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more official engagements in the coming months.

He told wellwisher Pauline Thomas, 74: "It's good news but there is still a long way to go."

William stepped in for the King today, just hours after Charles shared an update on his cancer journey at a Buckingham Palace reception with the New Zealand women's rugby team. During the event, Charles was warmly embraced by one of the players, leading to a light-hearted scrum with the Black Ferns, who are in the UK to face England's Red Roses.

The King, in good spirits, remarked "hug, why not" as he enjoyed the affectionate encounter.

The palace has disclosed details of Charles' first significant tour since his cancer diagnosis, confirming that the King will visit Australia and attend a Commonwealth leaders' summit in Samoa. However, he will not extend his trip to New Zealand, expressing regret and saying: "I'm extremely sorry I can't come to New Zealand in late October because of doctor's orders, but I hope there'll be another excuse (to come) before not too long."