Prince William visited servicemen and women from the Army Air Corps in Suffolk arriving in a Wildcat Helicopter and flying himself back home in the aircraft after the visit
Prince William joked about families not always wanting to see each other as he sported military uniform on a visit to estranged brother Prince Harry’s old Army regiment. The Prince of Wales also promised he would raise the accommodation concerns of troops from the Army Air Corp (AAC) as he handed out bacon and sausage rolls to their families as he visited them today.
William showed his interest in the welfare of the men and women of the regiment in his role as their Colonel-in-Chief and said the issue would be landing on a desk. He also lightened the mood when he joked, after asking one soldier if he spent enough time with his family “some of them might not want to see you that much – it’s a mixed bag”.
Wearing camouflage military uniform and the AAC’s iconic blue beret, William arrived at Wattisham flying station in Suffolk in a Wildcat Helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft in the AAC’s fleet. The prince is a former RAF helicopter search-and-rescue pilot who later spent two years flying air ambulances and he flew himself back home after the visit to the AAC’s headquarters to meet military personnel and their families.
During a break in a physical exercise outdoor session, he told a group of servicemen “I’m going to have a chat about accommodation, make sure they look at that”, and went on to say “if they listen to me, that’s another matter”, and said the issue would be landing on a desk.
When he asked another group about accommodation and only received smiles in response, the prince said: “I’ll take that away, a lot of smiles going on, that’s all you need to say.”
William later served bacon rolls and sausage baps in the Archer’s Breakfast, a weekly social event held by 664 Squadron for its personnel and their families, and said the food was “very good-smelling, making my mouth water”.
A long line of servicemen and their families quickly formed and the prince quipped “nothing worse than the smell of bacon in the room and you cannot eat it”.
Outside the cafe, William chatted to servicemen and their families including the children of Warrant Officer Class 2 Matthew Foster, Ida, eight, and five-year-old Archie. Asked by William what they liked, Ida replied ‘school’ while her younger brother opted not for lessons but ‘play’.
He ended his visit by presenting a King’s Commendation for Valuable Service and awarded a group of soldiers their promotion from Corporal to Sergeant. The AAC is the combat aviation arm of the British Army and is made up of several regiments and units including 664 Squadron, and uses Wildcat battlefield reconnaissance and Apache Attack helicopters to seek out and destroy enemy forces.
William became the AAC’s Colonel-in-Chief in May 2024 when the King officially handed over the role at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop. King Charles – who became the inaugural holder of the title 33 years ago – met with his eldest son in a rare joint official engagement to transfer the role last year.
The Army Air Corps is Prince Harry’s old unit, in which he served as an Apache helicopter commander and co-pilot gunner during his second tour to Afghanistan in 2012. The King’s decision to hand the role to William was seen as a blow to Harry when it was announced in 2023. Neither the King nor William are in contact with Harry amid a long-running royal feud.