Latest news with #Wattisham
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince William fans swoon as British royal dons Air Corps uniform and scruffy beard
Prince William has caused quite the stir on social media after posting photos in his Air Corps uniform. Fans couldn't stop swooning over the future king and Colonel-in-Chief, 42, as he donned the classic buttoned-up camo uniform and a grey beret during a visit to the Army Air Corps (ACC) in Wattisham, Suffolk, on Wednesday. The Prince of Wales, who also sported a scruffy beard, shared a series of photos from the outing to his and his wife Kate Middleton 's official Instagram afterwards. One photo showed Prince William starring intensely at a computer screen, while another featured him passing out meals to soldiers and their families. A different shot saw the Duke of Cornwall walking as he looked off to the side. 'Proud to visit the Army Air Corps as its Colonel-in-Chief. Great to spend time with the soldiers and their families here at Wattisham Air Base,' the post's caption read. 'Thank you for the warm welcome and heartening to see the strength of the regiment's community. 'Very impressed by the relentless commitment, physical capability and mental acuity on display at the combat PT session. An excellent reflection of the Army Air Corps' readiness and professionalism. 'A huge thank you to the soldiers and families of the AAC for the warm welcome - and for everything you do.' People rushed to the comment section and were ecstatic to see William all dressed up in the uniform and rocking some facial hair, with some calling him 'handsome' and others branding him 'hot.' 'Well, I think I can speak on behalf of womankind... we are HERE for the beard,' one user wrote. 'Dear god…! Our future kings is not supposed to be this hot,' another person shared. 'Prince William has entered his DILF era...' joked someone else. A fourth comment read: 'Talk about aging well...' while a fifth said, 'Wow... so handsome.' 'WOW!!!! William is so so hot, the older he gets the more good-looking he gets,' a different person observed. 'Look, dude, stop posting the beard and beret combo pics. It's not right for a future king to be that damn hot,' another commented. The Prince of Wales, who also sported a scruffy beard, shared a series of photos from the outing to his and his wife Kate Middleton 's official Instagram afterwards People rushed to the comment section and were ecstatic to see William dressed up in the uniform and rocking some facial hair, with some calling him 'handsome' and 'hot' 'Normally I'm not a fan of beards, but this beard has me fanning myself,' someone else said. 'The beard is bearding,' penned one fan. Other comments read: 'Always a good day when William is in uniform,' 'Ageing like a fine wine,' 'His Royal Highness looks amazing,' and, 'He looks like a movie star with that beard.' The trip to Wattisham, Suffolk marked the first time he toured the regiment since become the Colonel-in Chief of the Army Corps in 2024, per the New York Post. William completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the RAF Search and Rescue Force back in 2010, later flying an air ambulance two years before stepping down to take on more royal roles on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
The Sun
6 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Wills jokes ‘families can be a mixed bag – some of them might not want to see you much'
PRINCE William joked families can be a "mixed bag" when he visited soldiers at an army air field. The Prince of Wales asked a group if their family are okay and if they see them enough, before quipping: "Some of them might not want to see you that much. 8 8 "It's a mixed bag sometimes." It came after he observed a combat PT training session. He visited the Army Air Corps in Wattisham, Suffolk, in his role as colonel-in-chief which he became in May 2024. He also promised he would take up issues with accommodation which was raised by the soldiers, saying: 'It probably hasn't been looked at for a while. There will be a big notebook on somebody's desk.'Whether they listen to me, that's another matter.' He arrived yesterday as a passenger in a wildcat helicopter - a key element of AAC's capabilities - before flying the chopper himself on the way home. During the trip, he was also shown inside planning and comms tents to learn about their operations. And he served bacon and sausage baps at an Archers Breakfast, a weekly social event held by 664 Squadron for its personnel and families. He said as he served the food: 'It's making my mouth water.' And the ladies serving with him praised his abilities, saying he was "spot on" and "had pace". He then spoke with soldiers and their families outside, including Mike and Lorna Pope, parents of Air Trooper Daniel Pope of 664 Squadron who sadly died of cancer in 2016. The squadron and regiment honour his memory through an annual cross country race and by naming Pope's Bar after him, which was the venue for meeting the families. And he spoke with WO2 Matthew Foster and children Archie, six, and Ida, eight. He told the children: "Your dad does a very important job here." At the end of the engagement, he presented Staff Sergeant Kenneth Robert Copeland with an award for his exceptional service in West Africa. He also presented promotions for several soldiers from corporal to sergeant. 8 8 8 8 8
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
William in accommodation pledge as he dishes out bacon rolls to soldiers
The Prince of Wales has pledged to raise the accommodation concerns of soldiers as he handed out bacon and sausage rolls to their families. William showed his interest in the welfare of the men and women from the Army Air Corps (AAC) in his role as their Colonel-in-Chief and said the issue would be landing on a desk. He 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 then 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'. 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. When William first arrived he entered a camouflaged covered tent, a mock-up of a mobile planning headquarters used when AAC regiments are on deployment, and got to grips with a laptop used to plan missions under the watchful eye of Lance Corporal Sulabh Ale. He ended his visit by presenting a King's Commendation for Valuable Service and award a group of soldiers their promotion from Corporal to Sergeant.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Prince William visits Wattisham airfield to speak with soldiers
The Prince of Wales has pledged to raise the concerns of soldiers about their accommodation. Prince William visited Wattisham flying station near Needham Market, Suffolk, to meet with men and women from the Army Air Corps (ACC) in his role as their discussed concerns about the quality of accommodation while serving bacon and sausage baps to the families of the military personnel . "I'm going to have a chat about accommodation, make sure they look at that," he told them. The prince is a former RAF helicopter search and rescue pilot who later spent two years flying air camouflage military uniform and the AAC's blue beret, he flew into Wattisham on a Wildcat Helicopter, a reconnaissance aircraft in the ACC's he first arrived he entered a camouflaged covered tent, a mock-up of a mobile planning headquarters used when AAC regiments are on deployment, and got to grips with a laptop used to plan missions under the watchful eye of Lance Corporal Sulabh Ale. 'Smiles' Talking about the accommodation, he added: "If they listen to me, that's another matter", and said the issue would be landing on a he asked another group about the issue 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."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. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Prince William jokes family can be a 'mixed bag' as he dons military uniform on a visit to the Army Air Corps in Suffolk
Prince William joked that family can be something of a 'mixed bag' when he spoke to soldiers at an army air field. His off-the-cuff comment came as he visited the Army Air Corps (ACC) in Wattisham, Suffolk, as its new colonel in chief. The Prince was specifically replying to a comment made by one of the soldiers - amid his own fraught relationship with his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Asking about the pace of life and how often they see loved ones, William, sporting military uniform, quipped: 'Some of them might not want to see you that much. It's a mixed bag.' It came as he observed a combat PT session, and chatted to soldiers during a brief water break. He said the training could help with frustration, saying: 'It's good to take it out on a punch bag.' Chatting to another group he enquired about some of the systems they use before asking: 'Is the pace of life good at the moment.' One man responded that it was a 'mixed bag.' William then said: 'Families okay? See you enough? Some of them might not want to see you that much. It's a mixed bag sometimes.' He then promised that he would talk to someone 'about accommodation and make sure that's looked at'. He said: 'It probably hasn't been looked at for a while. There will be a big notebook on somebody's desk. Whether they listen to me, that's another matter.' Prince William, who inherited his new military role from the King in May 2024, arrived in a wildcat helicopter, a key element of the AAC's capability. He received an overview of the work the corps does before hearing about 664 squadron's operational lessons from overseas tours and how soldiers are adapting to the new capabilities of the recently acquired Apache AH-64E helicopter. Inside a planning and executive tent he examined maps and technologies for tracking live locations of soldiers taking part in NATO training in Norway. Lance Corporal Sulabh Ale then showed him the main control computer, which the Prince sat at. He asked questions about what it showed, including about reading 'contours on the grounds' and the significance of different colours on the screen. Before he left there was even time to help serve at the Archer's Breakfast (pictured), a weekly social event held by 664 Sqaudron for its personnel and their families Inside a planning and executive tent, William (pictured left) examined maps and technologies for tracking live locations of soldiers taking part in NATO training in Norway Before he left there was even time to help serve at the Archer's Breakfast, a weekly social event held by 664 Sqaudron for its personnel and their families. He asked troops and their families if they wanted a sausage or bacon bap, adding: 'It's making my mouth water.' The ladies serving with him praised his serving abilities, saying he was 'spot on' and 'had pace'. He also spoke with WO2 Matthew Foster and children Archie, six, and Ida, eight. He asked Ida if she liked school and then responded to Archie telling him that he liked playtime, saying: 'I'm getting the handle of both of you two now.' He asked Ida if she liked French, and how she was writing it. And then asked about the helicopters: 'Which do you like the most? The apache? You like the apache? 'Your dad does a very important job here.' Archie then told him he wants to drive a Land Rover, to which the Prince replied that there was a lot around. Matthew joked: 'Reach for the stars.' Ida said: 'It was amazing. I loved it. This is going to be the best thing of my whole entire life. I'm going to write it in a book. He asked lots of questions. He asked about school.' Matthew added afterwards: 'It's great to have engagement from our colonel in chief for the families of serving soldiers. He's great, very engaging. It was like he cares for the families of the units.' The squadron and regiment honour his memory through an annual cross country race and by naming Pope's Bar after him, which was the venue for meeting the families. The Prince then presented Staff Seargant Kenneth Robert Copeland with an award for his exceptional service in West Africa a couple of years ago. At the breakfast club (pictured), William asked troops and their families if they wanted a sausage or bacon bap, adding: 'It's making my mouth water' Kenneth said after: 'It's a huge honour. We don't do things for recognition we do it because it's our job but to be recognised is special. 'He's our colonel in chief so to get that off the main boss of what I've been doing for 23 years is brilliant.' William also promoted several soldiers from corporal to sergeant, before taking to the controls himself and flying the wildcat helicopter off the base. The prince is a qualified helicopter pilot who served with the RAF Search and rescue team as well as their air ambulance in East Anglia. Staff sergeant Megan Chasney, who helped to host him, said after: 'It was fantastic. It's a privilege to be able to host our colonel in chief. 'We had a nice relaxed conversation on our way from the sports pitch down to here to speak about everything, our main issues at Wattisham and how he can help aid us with those, and what it's like with service personnel and our families.' He also met Mike and Lorna Pope, parents of Air Trooper Daniel Pope of 664 Squadron who sadly died of cancer in 2016. She added on the accommodation, which the Prince took a keen interest in: 'You can see this is a World War Two camp. It's aging accommodation and its aging infrastructure. We have new infrastructure coming but it can't come fast enough.'
