RAF
Duke Of Cambridge "Feeling The Nerves" On First Day In New Job
The Duke of Cambridge had a quiet first day in his new job as he said he hopes juggling fatherhood, royal duties and work as an air ambulance pilot will help him become a "grounded individual".
William clocked on at 7am today for his first shift as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), based at Cambridge Airport, and admitted he was experiencing first-day nerves.
There was little time to settle in as William and his crew-mates were dispatched on their first emergency call-out at 9.20am.
However, this incident did not turn out to be as serious as first expected and the crew was quickly stood down. With no further calls, they spent the day carrying out training and safety checks.
Their colleagues based at Norwich Airport were busy as they were called to support police, firefighters and paramedics at a fatal explosion at an industrial unit in Norwich.
Asked if he was prepared for the traumatic sights he will encounter in his new role, William said: "Nothing ever prepares you that well for what you are going to see."
Speaking at the start of his shift, the Duke, who is known as Captain William Wales in his new role, said he was "fantastically excited" and was looking forward to working with a "very professional bunch of guys and girls".
He added that he was enjoying being a father-of-two following the birth of Princess Charlotte in May but described Prince George, who will turn two on July 22, as "a little monkey".
William said of his new job: "It's sort of a follow-on from where I was in the military with my search and rescue role.
"There are many of the same kind of skills and a job like this is very worthwhile, valuable and there's an element of duty.
"It's an important area for me to be involved in to continue my career and training.
"For me it's a really important point to be grounded. I feel doing a job like this really helps me to be grounded and that's the core of what I'm trying to become.
"I'm trying to be a good guy, to do what I can and trying to be a decent individual."
William will balance the new job with his royal duties and, while he admitted this brought with it certain pressures, he said he was confident he could make it work.
"At some point there's going to be a lot more responsibility and pressure but at the moment I'm juggling it and enjoying it," he added.
"While I'm still relatively young, I will manage the two jobs the best I can."
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