Prince William quits his helicopter rescue job to focus on becoming a future king

WILLIAM, The Duke of Cambridge will today complete his final shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance to step up and become a full time royal.

WILLIAM, The Duke of Cambridge will today complete his final shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance to step up and become a full time royal.

After joining the team as a pilot at Cambridge Airport in March 2015, Prince William will finish up his duties with the air ambulance with a night shift from 4.30pm London time (1.30am AEST).

It comes after the Duke of Edinburgh’s announcement in May that he would be retiring from public life, with the younger Royals poised to step up and help Queen Elizabeth II with royal duties.

In a statement issued by Kensington Palace earlier this year, the future King of England said his experience with the EAAA had been a “huge privilege”.

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“Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in this job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my Royal work for decades to come.

“I have loved being part of a team of professional, talented people that save lives every day.

“My admiration for our country’s medical and emergency services community could not be any stronger.”

Britain's Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge walks on the runway when he began his job with the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) at Cambridge Airport on July 13, 2015. Picture: AFP

Chief Executive of East Anglian Air Ambulance Patrick Peal said HRH would be missed by the team.

“(Prince William) is not only a fantastic pilot, but a much loved and valued member of the crew; he will be truly missed by everyone at EAAA,” he said.

“We can’t thank William enough for his hard work and commitment to the charity during this time. He has been a true professional, delivering our doctors and critical care paramedics to patients under testing conditions.

“His dedication to the job, and wonderful character will be greatly missed, and I know I speak for all of our staff when I say we wish him the very best of luck for the future.”

This 2009 picture shows Prince William during his flight training. Picture: AFP

After completing an initial period of job-specific training involving simulator, aircraft and in-flight skills, Prince William began piloting his first operational missions in July 2015.

Throughout his service he has been based out of Cambridge Airport, as part of a team including specialist doctors, critical care paramedics and pilots providing emergency medical services across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The EAAA carried out 2361 missions last year.

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Originally published as Prince William quits his helicopter rescue job to focus on becoming a future king