Even though Prince Charles is the apparent heir to the British throne, it is believed that Prince William will be taking the role sooner than expected. Unlike Queen Elizabeth, who is known as the longest-reigning British monarch and the first one to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee for achieving her 65th year on the throne in 2017, Prince Charles will not get that much time.
Prince Charles is 71 years old as of this writing, and his mother is still the reigning Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. That being said, his reign will not last long considering his old age and Prince William, who is the second in the line of succession, will quickly take over.
Queen Elizabeth is very much aware of this situation. And because of that, Her Majesty had been preparing Prince William for his future role. Unfortunately for the Duke of Cambridge, he was, reportedly, forced to give up his dream role because he’s the future King.
"William was desperate to stay in the military and of course he trained to be a helicopter pilot,” royal commentator Simon Vigar said on Channel 5 documentary William and Kate: Too Good to be True. "But in the end, he wasn't allowed anywhere near the frontline. The ultimate boss said no because he is second-in-line to the throne."
Prince William joined the force in 2006 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant after completing the course. Prince Prince Harry joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2005. The Duke of Sussex returned in 2017 to represent Queen Elizabeth at the Sovereign's Parade.
Major-General Paul Nanson, an army leadership guru, revealed that the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex adhered to the grueling schedule and strict rules while completing the course. Although being in the military is certainly not an easy task, Nanson believes that the royal brothers learned a lot from their experience.
Meanwhile, Prince William was also a former air ambulance pilot, so he knows their trials and difficulties firsthand. This is the main reason why the Duke of Cambridge had been a patron of the charity’s 30 Years Saving Lives campaign.
During the gala dinner honoring the 30th anniversary of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, Prince William attended the event back in November. The future king then took the opportunity to meet with the attendees and talked to them. The Duke of Cambridge was photographed having a conversation with doctors, paramedics, and pilots.
