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(calm music)

- [William] Doing a job like this is worthwhile, valuable,

and to me, there's an element of duty about it.

Some of my earliest memories relate to times

that my parents spoke to me,

or even better, showed me what it meant

to have both privilege and responsibilities.

- Charles sort of set out

almost what everybody's role would be,

and he named that William and Catherine

would be the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

- [Penny] I think he will be very much a King

who knows his own mind.

William's a very determined man.

I think he takes the role very seriously.

I think he believes in monarchy.

- [Ingrid] At the moment, they are the golden couple.

- [Katie] The royal family is built on history

and tradition and protocol,

but actually in William and Kate,

you see a future King and Queen who are driving it forward

and taking it on to the next step.

(crowd cheering)

(calm music)

- This goes on and on and on, doesn't it? (laughs)

There's queues of people, right?

- [Penny] This family has service sort of,

you know, running through them.

William has got it. His father's got it.

His grandmother's got it.

But I think he's also very much,

much more a man of the modern age and of the people.

- [Ingrid] He will be very much more modern

than his grandmother or his father,

and I think he'll be much more the people's King.

(upbeat music)

- [William] To me, I didn't join the forces to be,

like I said the last time before,

mollycoddled or treated any different.

Every day you come in to work,

and you don't quite know what's gonna happen.

It's quite exciting in that sense, it's unpredictable.

I think as a future head of the armed forces,

it's really important that I was,

you at least get the opportunity to be credible

and to do the job that I signed up for

and to do the best I can.

- And that was the point at which I think William

went from being a young man to a future King.

(triumphant music)

(calm music) (people chattering)

- [Narrator] Following the death of his dearest

and most revered grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II,

Prince William's father, now Charles III,

ascended to the throne,

and Prince William took the title of Prince of Wales.

His Royal Highness Prince William

is now second in line to the throne,

but he has his work cut out

following in his father's footsteps

and keeping up the tradition of duty and hard work.

His destiny is to inherit the crown

and succeed to the throne,

but how does a prince prepare to become King?

- [Reporter] Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace

throughout the evening.

Then at 10:25, their patience was rewarded

with the formal notice of the birth.

It was signed by Mr. George Pinker,

the Queen's gynecologist, and other doctors

who attended the princess.

- [Narrator] Prince William, now Prince of Wales,

firstborn son of King Charles III

and Diana, Princess of Wales,

has always been in the spotlight.

Born second in line to the throne,

he was destined for a life of duty and of service.

@ - The fact that Dianaú produced a little boy and heir

@ I think just further endearedú her to the British public.

@ People loved her even more,

and when she came out holding Prince William

with Prince Charles, images that really just melted,

I think, even the most hardened hearts around the country.

And it was a cause for great celebration.

Britain had come through a difficult time,

and I think the royal family

were giving the country something to look forward to.

- [Reporter] The skies were clear this morning

as the Royal Australian Air Force jet made its approach.

Prince and Princess emerged showing no sign

of the long flight and obviously well-educated

in the right sort of clothes to wear in Central Australia.

And then the moment more than a hundred reporters

and cameramen flew from all over the world to see,

the public debut of nine-month-old Prince William,

second in line to the throne.

- [Narrator] Of course, for Prince William,

he would've been able to understand

little of what was going on around him at the time

as his nanny carried him carefully down the steps

of the aircraft onto a Australian soil.

Diana's decision to take her baby, Prince William,

with her on their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983

was criticized in some corners of the media,

but it was a turning point for Diana

and the catalyst for her to grow in popularity

with the public.

(calm music)

Later, to protect the young princes, William and Harry,

from the excesses of the press and paparazzi,

the royal family came to an agreement with the media

that the boys would be free from press intrusion

whilst they were being educated,

and in exchange, the family undertook

to give regular updates to the mainstream media.

- [Reporter] Exactly on time,

the family emerged from the house,

one prince carrying another.

Everyone agreed that Prince William had grown a lot

in the five weeks since he arrived

in Australia at Alice Springs.

The princess, wisely hedging her bets a little,

had told us she would not guarantee

that the 10-month-old prince would crawl.

- Look, look, good. (William squeals)

- [Reporter] So what did Prince William do immediately?

(crowd laughing) - Whoa!

- Now let him come this way.

- William had a fairly traditional aristocratic childhood

inasmuch as he was taken care of by nannies.

@ His parents were, you know,

Diana particularly was a modern parent,

but she was a modern aristocratic parent,

and she did use nannies,

and the nannies really were the people

that William spent most of his time with.

He had been a very outgoing little boy.

At his first school, he was known as Basher,

Basher Wills or Basher Wales, 'cause he was,

you know, quite stroppy and confident.

- [Narrator] After his early years at Ludgrove School,

the young Prince William entered the gates of Eton College

where he fitted in easily to its centuries-old traditions

and where he found like-minded people.

- [Reporter] For their eldest son's big day,

the Princess of Wales was in the driving seat

with the Prince of Wales at her side.

Eton's most famous new boy

was with his younger brother, Harry, in the back.

- William's education was at Eton College.

Eton College is probably the leading public school

in England, and it's very traditional.

William's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales,

insisted that he went to Eton,

as did her father and her younger brother, Charles.

Prince Charles acceded to this.

He went to Gordonstoun, where he was thoroughly miserable

and cried almost every time he had to go back to to school,

even as a teenager, and he allowed his sons

both to go to a very elitist school.

It's very elite, it's very expensive,

it's very posh, if you will,

but it also has a degree of freedom for the pupils.

They are encouraged to be self-confident

and to find themselves.

And when William came there after being at Ludgrove,

the prep school, people realized, as he had to sign in,

every pupil signs into the book when they come,

that he was left-handed.

First time people realized he was a southpaw.

- [Narrator] William threw himself

enthusiastically into school life,

but if there was one area in which he really excelled,

it would be sport, an arena in which he continues

to devote his energies to this day,

seeming to naturally embrace all the principles

of sportsmanship and teamwork

which make it so important in our lives.

(calm music)

Unfortunately, although William enjoyed his time at Eton,

it was of course blighted by the tragic death of his mother.

(rain pattering)

(mourner sobbing) (camera clicking)

(calm music)

- [Mourner] I don't know, it was so modern.

- There goes trouble. - Charles, shut up.

- [Mourner] Charles.

- Thank you so much, thank you.

- [Mourner] Harry, I'm so sorry, sorry.

- [Mourner] William, William.

- Thank you so much, thank you.

- [Mourner] Oh, no.

- Thank you very much.

Thank you. - You, too.

(mourners chattering) - William, we love you!

- You know, how does any 15-year-old

and 12-year-old cope with that?

It was devastating for them, obviously.

(calm music)

(peaceful music) (horse hooves clomping)

On the day of the funeral,

William and Harry walked behind the cortege.

It was a long walk,

and there were crowds sobbing and wailing

and hundred, thousands and thousands of people

lining the route, and they walked with their father,

their grandfather, and Charles Spencer.

- She was an exceptional and gifted human being

in good times and bad.

She never lost her capacity to smile and laugh

nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.

I admired and respected her for her energy

and commitment to others,

and especially for her devotion to her two boys.

- William and Harry, we all care desperately for you today.

We are all chewed up with sadness

at the loss of a woman who wasn't even our mother.

How great your suffering is, we cannot even imagine.

Above all, we give thanks for the life of a woman

I'm so proud to be able to call my sister,

the unique, the complex, the extraordinary

and irreplaceable Diana whose beauty,

both internal and external,

will never be extinguished from our minds.

(crowd applauding)

(calm music)

- [Narrator] After graduating from Eton,

like many young men of his generation,

Prince William decided on a gap year.

- [Reporter] Now he's off to the plains of Patagonia

for a 10-week expedition.

- I wanted to do something constructive in my gap year

rather than, I mean, I could do quite a little work,

but I thought this was a bit more of a way of making,

trying to help people out and meet a whole range

of other different people from different countries

and at the same time helping people

in remote areas of Chile.

(calm music)

- I think we're very much seeing

@ a royal for the new century.

@Very relaxed, not stage managed,

@ happy to josh a bit with hisú father in an informal way,

but not scared to say exactly what he's feeling

and certainly not prepared to dodge the difficult issues.

- [Reporter] The clearest example of that,

his challenge to the press today

to let his mother rest in peace.

- [Narrator] Through his early voluntary work

with Raleigh International,

the young prince set off for Chile

where he spent three months

working on various community projects,

painting, chopping wood, and even cleaning the loos

just like everybody else.

- There was no question in any of the gap year, actually,

that he was a prince and treated differently.

He mucked in, he slept in sleeping bags,

you know, he cooked food around a campfire.

He did everything that everyone else did.

- [Narrator] A few weeks later,

a young Kate Middleton also undertook

a similar voluntary role, and on that occasion,

they just missed each other.

Prince William loves Scotland, and it didn't take him long

to decide to continue his education

at the University of St. Andrews.

- He did well enough to get not a place at Oxbridge,

which could've been fixed for him.

There was speculation that he would go

to Trinity College Cambridge as his father did,

but he was sufficient of his own man to say,

"No, I want to go to Scotland. I like Scotland."

He chose St. Andrews University,

very ancient university in the Kingdom of Fife,

and so by chance did Kate Middleton.

And that, of course, where they were both

first-year students, freshers, that's where they met.

- It was at St. Andrews where that friendship,

because it was initially a friendship, flourished.

William and Kate were at the same

halls of residence, at St. Salvator's.

They were on the same course in the same year.

I mean, some people say it wasn't that just too much

of a coincidence, but it was how things worked out.

And they spent the first year as undergraduates

really getting to know each other.

William was not particularly happy in his course.

They were both doing history of art,

and Kate was really great actually

at trying to keep him focused, keep him incentivized,

and actually stop him from leaving St. Andrews,

which was at one point what he wanted to do.

He didn't leave.

He switched course, and they spent the next four years

living together and falling in love.

(peaceful music)

- The people of St. Andrews are a very close-knit

sort of society, and they welcomed William with open arms,

and they were very protective of him.

And as a result, you know, he spent life,

he spent four years there as a pretty normal student.

- I think the wonderful thing about St. Andrews

was it was a bubble away from reality.

It was a life that Prince William

had never been able to enjoy.

Whether it was going to the local shops,

going to a local bar, going for his morning swim,

he could get on with his life

and his relationship in private.

- At all times, they were highly discreet.

They were almost never seen together.

They were, even with their friends,

they didn't allow any gossip to start.

The people speculated, but there was nothing definite

which proved that they were an item.

- And I think the pair of them absolutely loved those years.

They look upon those St. Andrews years

with great fondness, and they are patrons

of St. Andrews University because they feel

such a strong connection to that place.

(William laughing)

- [Reporter] In his own words,

"It is time now for the big wide world."

But today, William's family, like any other,

well, almost, came to say a proud farewell

to a place that has allowed him a more normal life

than any royal in history.

That he is deeply grateful is not in doubt,

and partly, of course, it's been about this woman.

They've been allowed to develop a relationship

without front-page scrutiny, and it's helped.

- [Announcer] Catherine Middleton.

(audience applauding)

- [Narrator] Romance did not stand in the way of hard work,

and Prince William graduated alongside Kate

with a Scottish Master of Arts degree

with upper second class honors.

Of course, no graduation would be complete

without family to proudly celebrate academic achievement.

But there are not many who can include the Queen

in their university graduation.

(calm music)

- [Announcer] William Wales.

(audience applauding)

(peaceful music)

- [Narrator] The British royal family

have served the armed forces for generations.

- It's a useful place, really, for them to be,

because certainly in modern times,

because they are away from the prying eyes

of the public and the press, the media.

It's a useful service.

You know, they get to experience danger,

and they get to be part of a team,

and it's great for leadership

and for mixing with people from all walks of life,

which is something that when they're growing up,

historically they didn't really do so much.

- The reason it's important

for members of the royal family to serve in the military

is because one day as Prince of Wales,

it's felt that it's extremely important

that if you are going to be head of the military,

that some way you would've served.

The Queen, in fact, did serve with,

during World War II, with the Women's Corps.

- [Reporter] Elizabeth is in the ATS, or British WAC,

and at the King's request is being treated

just like any other trainee.

- [Narrator] Queen Elizabeth herself had an active role

during World War II and was the first female member

of the royal family to serve in a full-time military role.

She diagnosed and repaired faulty engines

serving in the ATS.

William's grandfather, Prince Philip,

served with distinction in World War II

and was awarded the Greek War Cross of Valour.

Rising through the ranks, the young Prince Philip

became one of the youngest officers in the Royal Navy

to be promoted to first lieutenant.

Prince William's father served in the Royal Air Force

and the Royal Navy.

- [Reporter] Prince Charles stepped out

from the Fleet Air Arms headquarters

at Yeovilton in Somerset today in perfect flying weather

for his first hour's instruction

at the controls of a Wessex Mark 5 helicopter.

It's the start of a 3 1/2-month flying course,

at the end of which he'll be qualified,

like his father, Prince Philip, to fly helicopters,

including those belonging to the Queen's flight.

- [Narrator] Qualifying as a helicopter pilot in 1974

and joining the 845 Naval Air Squadron

operating from the commando carrier HMS Hermes.

In February, 1976, Prince Charles was promoted to command,

and he took control of HMS Bronington, a coastal minehunter,

for his last nine months in the Royal Navy.

- [William] If later on I'm to be associated

with all three services, it'd be a very good idea

to have an attachment to each one.

I think it gives one a very useful experience,

very useful experience of responsibility and discipline.

I think responsibility is the most important thing,

is the actual trust that's putting you

to deal with other people and the feeling

that they can perhaps put their trust in you as well.

- [Narrator] Both William and Harry were keen

to follow the example of their family

and take an active role in the military.

After passing the selection process

to become an Army officer,

Prince William took his place at Sandhurst,

the Royal Military Academy, from which thousands

of successful Army careers have been launched.

- Sandhurst used to be filled, I think,

with rather dimwitted sons of the aristocracy.

Today it is really a, you know,

a very serious academy.

It's a very tough course and hugely physical.

You pass quite serious exams, academic exams,

to get into Sandhurst, and then once you're there,

the regime is pretty remorseless.

William got through it.

- [Narrator] The cadets at Sandhurst

are divided into companies, or divisions as they're called.

The senior division always has the honor

of carrying the color,

a banner personally given by the sovereign.

And as the senior cadets complete their training,

so the color is passed on.

The academy RSM receives the color and carries it

to the new senior division of the next year.

- [Reporter] William clearly learnt

how to march in step here at Sandhurst.

By all accounts, he was a natural soldier,

considered to be amongst the best in his year.

- [Narrator] The 44-week training course is grueling,

and it's reported that William found enormous strength

during this period and made friends

who remain close and loyal to this day.

- Next year sees the 60th anniversary

of the formation of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst,

the spiritual home of the officer corps of the British Army,

and the high standards which it continues to demand

of its cadets have been exemplified

by your impressive drill and turnout today.

The academy's principle aim is to develop

the qualities of leadership, character, and intellect

demanded of an Army officer on first appointment.

I place that trust in you with confidence,

and my prayers for your success and safety

will follow you wherever you may be called upon to serve.

- [Narrator] Graduating with the rank of Lieutenant Wales,

William followed his younger brother

into the Blues and Royals as a troop commander,

which meant a further five-month training

at Bovington Camp in Dorset.

- Harry had been to Sandhurst ahead of William

because he didn't do, he didn't go to university,

and he had joined the Blues and Royals regiment.

William, when he graduated from Sandhurst,

when he passed out, he also joined the Blues and Royals.

But because of the way that the regiments

@ rotated in their deployments,

@it was quite clear that William

was not actually going to make it to Afghanistan.

His regiment wouldn't go there for 18 months,

and rather than sit around kicking his heels

doing training work in this country,

he decided to go and look at the other forces.

(calm music)

- [Narrator] Prince William moved to the Royal Air Force,

and in 2008, he completed a 12-week

intensive flying training course at RAF College Cranwell.

@ - Prince William willú arrive here January 2008,

and he'll be attached to the Royal Air Force

for four months, and during that time,

there'll be some flying training,

and he'll also then go on to operational squadrons

to see how the operational side

of the Royal Air Force operates.

I think everybody's very excited. I know Prince William's keen to come here and learn to fly,

and the instructors who've been chosen to teach him

are looking forward to it as well.

- This is the Grob Tutor.

It's the RAF'S elementary flying training aircraft.

@ All our pilots come into this

at the first stage of their training

as soon as they finish officer's training.

@ So the course mates forú finals in Wales will be doing

@ exactly the same trainingú as him at this stage.

It's fairly docile to fly.

It's something you could find similar to at a flying club,

but it's also fully aerobatic,

so it's quite a capable aircraft,

and we can up the pace quite quickly,

which is what we do on our training course.

- This is a Tucano T Mark 1 trainer.

It's the basic fast jet trainer for the Royal Air Force,

and Prince William is going to be coming to us

@ from his Tutor flying toú expand his flying skills,

@ give him some more complicatedú and advanced techniques,

@ and then progress him ontoú the school phase of his course

prior to the award of wings.

It's gonna be a very exciting period.

It's a privilege to train Prince William.

With regard to how he'll be treated,

he's going to be treated the same

as all the rest of our students

and all the junior officers that we work with.

- In the Air Force, it's known as the Squirrel,

and ours is specifically the AS.350BB,

@ which is unique to the Airú Force only in pure terms

@ of what the aircraft has onú it in terms of equipment.

We use it for basic military training

for all Army, Navy, and Air Force rotary students in the UK.

So the Prince will fly both the Tutor and the Tucano

before coming to Shawbury to fly the Squirrel.

- It's a huge honor for all involved,

and we have had royal visitors in the past,

and Cranwell especially with its association

with Prince Charles and his flying training.

Everyone is very much, very much looking forward to it.

He's not just another recruit,

but we are trying to make him fit in as much as he can,

and certainly that's what happened with the Army.

So he'll be treated the same as anybody else

who'll wear the same uniform,

and those associated would call him

as they would any other junior officer in the same rank.

- [Interviewer] How's life in the RAF?

- Very good, enjoying it very much.

- [Interviewer] Is it very different from the Army?

- In certain ways, yeah, otherwise it's, you know,

still the same sort of camaraderie

and everyone getting along really well.

- [Interviewer] Now, I understand you flew

your first solo flight yesterday.

- I did, yeah.

- [Interviewer] How did it go?

- Well, I'm still here to tell the tale,

and I haven't been billed for a plane,

so so far it looks all right.

But it was one of those experiences

where I thought it'll never come around.

And I thought, you know, hopefully, a bit longer here,

and I'll get a little bit more practice.

And the next thing I know, my instructor jumps out

and goes, "Go on, get on with it."

And I was left there sort of looking around there

and going, "Uh, what?"

So I just did it, and once you get up in the air,

it was fine, it wasn't so bad.

- His father had loved flying.

His grandfather had loved flying.

It was very much in the blood, I think.

And he and his brother, of course, Harry loved flying.

So the two brothers became helicopter pilots in the end.

- [Narrator] Once again, proud parents were able

to play an active role on graduation day.

- So he was presenting William with his wings.

I mean, it must, he must've felt hugely proud

but also a sort of bittersweet moment for Charles

because he himself wasn't able to carry on

with his flying career because it was thought

too dangerous for the heir to the throne.

- [Announcer] Flying Officer William Wales,

graduating with No. 227 and No. 97 courses.

(calm music) (audience applauding)

- [Narrator] After serving in both the Army

and the Royal Air Force, William was then seconded

to train with the Navy, spending three weeks

at the Britannia Royal Navy College in Dartmouth.

- So having learnt to fly an aeroplane,

he then went to explore the Navy to get a taste of the Navy,

and he went out to the Caribbean

on a drug-policing vessel.

And during his time there, he was part of a crew

that busted a huge, huge drugs haul

worth millions of pounds.

So he experienced quite a lot of excitement

and probably quite a lot of danger, actually.

- [Narrator] William extended

his Royal Naval Short Service Commission

for as long as possible, and it's reported

that he greatly enjoyed his time in the senior service,

but he was called back to the Royal Air Force

and promoted to flight lieutenant,

taking up training to become a helicopter pilot

in the RAF Search and Rescue Service.

- He was not going into a battlefield.

Nobody knew who he was up in a helicopter,

and yet it was very real and meaningful work.

- To me, I didn't join the forces to be,

like I said the last the last time before,

mollycoddled or treated any different.

And as far as I'm concerned, in my eyes,

if Harry can do it, then I can do it.

I don't really separate us. There's not much difference.

And I think as a future head of the armed forces,

it's really important that I was,

at least get the opportunity to be credible

and to do the job that I signed up for

and to do the best I can,

and that's all I ever wanted to do.

And the search-and-rescue role is now,

you know, slightly different.

So obviously being able to go to Afghanistan,

but it's still doing an important job,

and I hope that it's- - Still be in the Air Force.

- Yeah, I hope it's, yeah, I hope it's just

in the right direction, exactly, for future.

- [Narrator] The training is demanding

and includes advanced handling, night flying,

emergency handling, and tactical and formation flying

on the Griffin HT1 helicopter.

- William Wales, Flight Lieutenant William Wales

is posted to the Operational Conversion Unit,

203 Squadron, Royal Air Force Valley to fly the Sea King.

(audience applauding)

- [Narrator] Flight Lieutenant Wales

graduated in January 2010

from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury.

(Charles and William speaking softly)

(audience applauding)

(calm music)

Prince William then transferred to RAF Valley at Anglesey,

becoming the first member of the royal family

since Henry VII to live in Wales.

For the next eight months,

he trained on the Sea King helicopter

and was assigned to C Flight No. 22 Squadron as a co-pilot.

- Well, before I started search and rescue,

I had a little brief instruction to it,

and it was immediate to me.

I spent three hours flying with the guys,

and it was totally apparent to me straightaway

how important the job is and the skills the guys employ,

the flying aspects, the the general airmanship

you need to have around you

and all the wits you need to survive the weather

and whatever sort of situation you're thrown into.

It definitely is advanced flying, and it's rewarding.

So put the two together, and it's a fantastic job.

It's rewarding because every day you come in to work,

and you don't quite know what's gonna happen.

It's quite exciting in that sense, it's unpredictable,

but at the same time it's great that you get to go out

and actually save someone's life, hopefully,

or at least make a difference to someone.

You know, when you know that they're in trouble,

you do everything you can to try and get there.

And the guys demonstrate that

every single day they go out.

And with the team environment there is in the,

it's very much sort of a big family in the sky,

and the guys do a fantastic job.

- We've got 11 pilots here.

William's a fairly new co-pilot, but as such,

he flights the aircraft as much as anyone else,

@ and he'll be called uponú quite regularly during jobs

@to take control of the aircraft

while the captain's doing something else.

Regarding a hierarchy, we're all pretty much,

we're all of equal rank just with different

varying levels of experience.

So, and we all get on very well together,

have a joke and a laugh when we're on the ground

and get serious when we're flying.

- It's absolutely fantastic.

I mean, when William first arrived on the squadron,

it was a massive shock to all of us,

fairly dumbfounded, really,

that somebody was such prestige

@ was coming onto our squadron,

@ but very quickly settledú into just one of the guys,

one of us, part of the family certainly,

@ and day to day, youú don't even really notice.

I suppose in 10, 15 years' time

when we look back on this occasion,

it'll seemed very, very special and memorable.

But he's a great guy to work with.

- When you're flying along at night in Snowdonia mountains

and you've got 40-knot winds,

the clouds down to about 200 feet

and you're trying to get through to find someone

who's either broken the leg or is lost on the hill,

it gets quite interesting.

You have to use all four of you, put brain power together,

and your skill and basically hope that,

you know, you can actually get there and help.

(people chattering)

- There was a key moment in his life.

It was in 2011, there had been a huge,

devastating earthquake in New Zealand,

and William said to his private secretary,

"Is anyone from the royal family going down to New Zealand?

Because if they're not, I would like to go,

and, you know, represent the Queen

and express our sorrow at what's happened."

And his private secretary says,

"You can't possibly do this.

You know, you haven't got time.

How are you gonna work out?

You know, you've got these number of shifts

you've got to do with search and rescue."

He said, "It's all right, I've sorted all of that.

Just find out whether whether I can go,

whether anyone else is going."

So he did, and he went,

and he stood side by side with people

who'd lost loved ones, homes, businesses.

You know, the scenes there were absolutely devastating.

- My grandmother once said

that "Grief is the price we pay for love."

Here today, we love, and we grieve.

- And that was the point at which I think William

went from being a young man to a future King.

(calm music)

(crowd cheering)

- [Narrator] Family life beckoned,

and during his time at RAF Valley, it was announced

that Prince William and Kate Middleton were to marry.

(plane engine rumbling)

- [Reporter] Flying himself into the land

his family have worked for generations,

Ian Craig's plane touches down in Lewa,

the romantic hideaway Prince William chose

to make his proposal.

- [Interviewer] Produce a ring?

- Yeah. - There and then?

- I did, yep, I'd been carrying it around with me

in my rucksack for about three weeks before that,

and I literally would not let it go.

Everywhere I went, I was keeping ahold of it,

'cause I knew this thing, if it disappeared,

I'd be in a lot of trouble.

And yeah, 'cause I'd planned it.

It sort of, it went fine.

As you know, you hear a lot of horror stories

about proposing, and things go horribly wrong.

It went really, really well.

And yeah, I was very pleased she said yes.

(calm music)

- I think it was very telling

that he chose to give Kate Middleton

his mother's engagement ring.

And he said, "I want my mother to be part of this,

to be present."

Not in a sinister way, of course not,

not the ghost at the feast,

but there to enjoy the celebrations

and the fun of it all, of a great occasion.

And I think people are very well aware of the background,

and they certainly have a great deal of sympathy,

and they're almost willing them to be happy

because he particularly has had difficulties in his life.

(peaceful music) (audience applauding)

- [Narrator] On the 29th of April 2011,

Prince William and Kate Middleton married

in Westminster Abbey.

The nation took Kate to their hearts,

and she has been by his side ever since.

- This was very much a wedding, their personal wedding.

Okay, it was very, very public, obviously.

It was televised, and the world was watching,

but it was essentially their private wedding,

and that's how they kind of treated it.

And it was very touching,

and Kate looked absolutely stunning.

(peaceful music) (crowd cheering)

- [Narrator] It was a cause for big celebration.

Crowds gathered from far away to take part in the day.

After all, Kate would one day become Queen Consort.

(peaceful music)

Like many young newlyweds in the services,

duty called, and Flight Lieutenant Wales

was deployed to the Falkland Islands,

becoming part of a four-man crew

providing cover for aviation assets

and assisting those in need of rescue.

@ - Search-and-rescue pilotsú here provide 24-hour coverage

@ with a Sea King helicopter.

They're on duty for a 24-hour period

and covering any eventuality.

As you've seen, the distances here are quite large.

The roads are not fantastic,

and if we need to get somebody,

military or civilian, to hospital,

quite often search-and-rescue helicopter

is the best way of doing it.

- [Narrator] The deployment was seen

as particularly controversial as it came close

to the 30th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War.

- The Argentinians felt that this

was a slap in the face to them

for Prince William to be marching about in uniform,

humiliating the Argentinians

on what they still believe is their territory.

(calm music)

- [Narrator] Balancing home and family life

with a career can be difficult.

Kate gave birth of their first child,

Prince George, in July 2013.

The media camped out in excitement

to catch a glimpse of the future King.

Kate and William greeted the press

and introduced Prince George to the world.

After this, Flight Lieutenant William Wales

took the decision to retire from active service

in the Royal Air Force in September 2013.

- William, I think, that time,

those years as a search-and-rescue pilot,

he really felt that he did achieve something.

It was a real job. There were no concessions for who he was.

He wasn't wrapped up in cotton wool.

But the time came where the tour of duty came to an end,

and I think he left probably with quite a heavy heart,

but he'd had a very, very good time there.

And I think, you know, he'd absolutely achieved

what he set out to achieve.

- [Narrator] During his time at RAF Valley,

Prince William undertook 156 search-and-rescue missions

where 149 people were rescued.

Whilst in the Royal Air Force,

he completed over 1,300 flying hours.

It's not often he gets to meet the people

whose lives he saved.

Sharon West got the opportunity to meet the prince

and to personally thank him for saving her life.

- Hello. - I just wanted to say

thank you for rescuing me last year.

- Was it you? - Yeah.

- Was it from the beach in Anglesey, was it?

- Yeah, I think I'm- - Yeah,

it was you and your sister.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

How are you? Are you all right?

- I'm okay.

I'm glad you made a full recovery.

A lot of time, you never see who, you never meet up-

- I know. - With anyone after

you've done it, so it's- - That's why we made a point

of coming here today, 'cause we felt it'd be so good-

- All right. - To say thanks to you

and the guys. - No, no, no,

the guys. - The whole team. - It's the whole team, it's the whole crew, it's crew thing.

- [Narrator] Retirement from active service

did not deter the future King from looking to the skies

to fulfill his career ambitions

and to continue the spirit of service to others.

In 2014, it was announced that William would accept

full-time employment as a pilot

with the East Anglian Air Ambulance

based at Cambridge Airport.

Kate and William had another exciting announcement.

They would be having their second child.

In May 2015, Kate gave birth to Princess Charlotte,

@ who would be fourth in line toú the succession of the throne.

@ - He made the decision, ú and it was quite a surprise

@ when he announced he wantedú to get back into the cockpit,

because remember, he'd left the RAF.

@ We all thought his flyingú days were behind him

and actually we'd see the Duke of Cambridge

embark on a life of official public duty.

Well, that hasn't happened.

He's gone back into the cockpit,

albeit in a different capacity.

He's flying now with the air ambulance service.

It's a charity, but it's still a full-time

and demanding job.

- It also means he can have a career

@ aside from the royal family, ú and it's in a perfect arena,

@ of course, because he's goingú out and helping to save lives.

So it ticks all of those boxes equally, I think,

'cause he can base himself further up north

and away from Kensington Palace,

which he considers a bit of a goldfish bowl.

He can enjoy the idyllic life,

helping to bring up the children

at least in the next few years

while they're still very young.

- [Narrator] He took up his full-time role in July 2015,

that any salary paid to him would be donated to charity.

- Well, first of all, I'm just fantastically excited

to be here today, the first day.

It's been a long time coming.

It's been many exams and training to get here,

and I'm hugely excited to be joining

a very professional bunch of guys and girls

doing a sort of unique, complex job with the air ambulance.

And it's sort of a follow-on

from where I was with the military with search and rescue,

so many of the same sorts of skills

and in essence the similar type of job.

It just follows on from search and rescue to here.

So it was a natural progression,

but equally doing a job like this is worthwhile, valuable,

and to me, there's an element of duty about it.

I'm really quite keen to be involved

with the guys and the girls doing a complex,

you know, professional job.

- [Narrator] For the next two years,

Prince William worked on the front line

as an emergency worker,

sometimes witnessing intense trauma

and with a real hands-on approach

to helping his medically qualified colleagues.

There is little doubt that this would've had

a significant impact on his mental health and personal life.

- I think nothing ever prepares you that well

for what you're gonna see and some of the incidences.

But having done search and rescue before,

we saw a lot of that already.

And when you're working with a team, you know,

you help each other out, and you talk about it,

and you get through it that way,

and so it's very important to talk about it.

- William said to a friend recently

that his priorities were family and flying, in that order.

And I think the emphasis on those two Fs, family and flying,

is exactly where it is for both of them.

(calm music)

- He's friendly, he's funny, he's, you know,

always sort of joking and bantering,

particularly with other men and with colleagues.

And I think that was how he managed to be accepted

so readily by colleagues, both in the armed forces

and in the air ambulance.

He just, and in all the charities that he works for as well,

they really love him.

- [Narrator] Prince William's interest

in air ambulance services remains to this day,

and after supporting an anniversary

for London's Air Ambulance Charity in 2019,

he became the official patron in March 2020.

- And you're just like in the moment in one minute.

- [Narrator] It was time to move closer to home,

and in July 2017, Prince William left his position

as an air ambulance pilot to take up

full-time role duties on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.

- Prince William's made a fantastic contribution

to the team.

@ It's been an absoluteú pleasure to have him on board.

He's a hard-working member of the team,

always keen to get his hands dirty and help out

whether it is just cleaning the aircraft

or actually at the scene helping out

with patients that are critically ill.

He's a really valuable member of the team.

I think that the over, the big memory I'll have

will be the day he arrived, really.

The very first day you arrive,

you're supposed to call in for just 10 minutes,

and he ended up staying for about four hours,

which was a good sign that he was comfortable

amongst the team.

And then his first day at work, really,

we went a bit long before we got a job,

and we were straight into a mission, a lifesaving mission.

- He's been a fantastic member of the team,

and that's really what we were looking for

was somebody who would really fit in,

@ work hard, and reallyú contribute to the operation

of East Anglian Air Ambulance, and he's done that in spades.

He's been a terrific member of the team.

He made a space for himself very quickly

as a member of a highly professional team,

and he earned the respect of everybody around him.

Take those off (indistinct).

(group laughing)

They haven't been cleaned in two years.

- He really will be missed, 'cause he's a terrific pilot,

and he's a great guy to have around.

He's been really good at the scene, and that's what,

that's the feedback I get from all of our clinical teams.

And yeah, he's just been a great person

to have as part of East Anglian Air Ambulance.

(triumphant music)

- [Narrator] Just under a year later, in April 2018,

Kate gave birth to their third child, Prince Louis,

who would be fifth in line of succession.

Family has remained an important part of life for William,

and the country has been pleased to see more

of the young princes, George and Louis,

as well as Princess Charlotte at royal events.

- Obviously during the day,

people don't really wanna see the lights (indistinct).

- [Narrator] Prince William continues in his duties

as a monarch in training at the same time

as dedicating himself to the vital service of the Crown.

He has served a vital role on numerous occasions

supporting Her Majesty the Queen,

but also focusing on areas of working life,

which obviously mean a great deal to him.

He is currently patron or president of many organizations,

remaining particularly interested in conservation,

young people, the armed forces,

emergency responders, and mental health.

- I think everything that William has done

in his life has colored what he,

the charities that he's chosen to support.

You know, the conservation comes from his time in Africa.

His interest in the welfare of ex-military personnel

comes from his time in the military.

His experience as an air ambulance pilot,

the people he saw there, the injuries,

I think his interest in mental welfare

is also tied up in all of that.

- [Narrator] His interest in the environment,

following in the footsteps of his father,

King Charles, and his grandfather, Prince Philip,

remains an incredibly important focus for William.

Queen Elizabeth spoke of her pride

for her grandchild at the COP26 summit.

- I'm delighted to welcome you all

to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference.

This is a duty I'm especially happy to discharge

as the impact of the environment on human progress

was a subject close to the heart of my dear late husband,

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

It is a source of great pride to me

that the leading role my husband played

in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet

lives on through the work of our eldest son,

Charles, and his eldest son, William.

I could not be more proud of them.

(calm music)

- He spent a lot of time in his youth in Africa,

@ and I think it's certainlyú the role of his father,

@Prince Charles, in conservation

@ has had a big impact upon him.

It's something he's deeply, deeply passionate about.

He's somebody I think that cares deeply about issues,

but the homeless is one that he's actively involved with.

He's also very keen in trying to help

young people that are on drugs

and are trying to get through that problem,

and he does lend a lot of support to that,

and in fact, it's my understanding,

he's not only doing stuff where he helps himself.

He actually does put his money where his mouth is,

and through his foundation, he has contributed

quite a lot of money to assisting people in this regard.

(calm music)

- This family has service sort of, you know,

running through them.

William has got it, his father's got it,

his grandmother's got it.

I think his role model is the Queen,

not actually his parents.

I think he felt that his parents blurred the distinction

between the public and the private.

The Queen has managed to keep her privacy

and her personal life much more to herself,

and I think William will try and do the same.

- [Narrator] The prince has made many official visits

around the UK, meeting a broad range of people

who make a difference to their community.

With Kate at his side,

he has also carried out overseas tours

on behalf of the Queen to the Commonwealth and beyond.

- William and Kate, to me, are about the future.

I don't like to look back and compare her to Diana

because she is her own woman.

And William and Kate, I think, have their own idea

of what they want to do.

And I think, you know, you see these two people

moving forward and taking the monarchy forward.

I say in my book that modernization

is a very hard word to use

in the context of the royal family

because the royal family is built on history

and tradition and protocol.

But actually, in William and Kate,

you see a future King and Queen who are driving it forward

and taking it on to the next step.

- [Narrator] On the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year,

William and Kate toured the Caribbean to mark the occasion.

Their journey was met with somewhat mixed reviews.

Prince William made an important speech

in which he observed the need for change.

(calm music)

- Next year, I know you're all looking forward

to celebrating 50 years of independence,

your golden anniversary,

and with Jamaica celebrating 60 years of independence

this year and Belize celebrating 40 years

of independence last year, I want to say this.

We support with pride

and respect your decisions about your future.

Relationships evolve. Friendship endures.

(calm music)

- [Narrator] William's beloved grandma,

the Queen, sadly died in September 2022.

The nation went into mourning, and grief was felt worldwide.

But there is no pause in the continuity of the monarchy.

King Charles III was proclaimed,

and William became first in the line of succession.

In the new King's first televised broadcast,

he announced William and Catherine

would become the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

- As my heir, William, now assumes the Scottish titles,

which have meant so much to me,

he succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall

and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall,

which I have undertaken for more than five decades.

Today, I am proud to create him

Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru.

- [Narrator] Although his title has changed,

he still offers the same dedication to duty and service.

It is likely William will have to take on more events

and engagements in his new role.

- Well, I think that William is already fulfilling

his role as Prince of Wales.

I mean, he's lived in Wales,

he lived in Anglesey, he's worked there.

He has, I think, he's done so much

in such a short time, and he has such respect from people

that I don't think people will compare him to his father.

I think his father's position of Prince of Wales was unique,

and William's position of Prince of Wales

is very much William and Catherine together.

- I think he will be very much a King

who knows his own mind.

William's a very determined man.

I think he's mindful of history

and won't do anything extraordinary,

but I think he's also very much,

much more a man of the modern age and of the people

than any previous monarchs.

- [Narrator] Prince William has clearly demonstrated

his ability to win hearts and minds wherever he goes

with a genuine warmth and care for people he meets.

In the years to come, as he serves as Prince of Wales,

he will no doubt continue to follow his duty

and support his father, King Charles III.

In the fullness of time when he ascends

to the throne as King, he will take inspiration

from those who have served before him

whilst modernizing the monarchy in his own unique way.

For now, William remains Prince of Wales, King in waiting.

(calm music)