Prince William is getting rave reviews from his commanding officer while serving a five-week placement with the Royal Navy in the Caribbean.

Prince William in Monserrat on hurricane relief duty

The Ministry of Defence in London said today that the Prince flew by helicopter from HMS Iron Duke to the island of Montserrat to help test the Navy’s response to a 155-mile-per-hour hurricane that could leave hundreds dead and injured, while destroying 95pc of the buildings.

William joined senior officers and local leaders directing 170 people on board the ship. He also took part in a coach crash exercise before returning to the frigate by boat.

Iron Duke Captain Commander Mark Newland said that William Wales, as the Prince is known, is a natural leader. “Sub-Lieutenant Wales, as part of his remit on board, has been involved in the planning from the outset, and that’s primarily in developing a plan and understanding of the nature of the infrastructure on Montserrat.

“With [him], it’s reasonably easy — what you have is an Army officer who understands a military context. He understands instinctively the business of command and where his teams fit in there.

“What I have seen is his ability to integrate very quickly into teams, whether it be at the command level or the very low tactical level. Being sent away with a small group to lead and conduct a particular task — that, to him, is second nature.”

There were recent reports that William has been awarded a service medal by the U.S. Coastguard for his part in the capture of £40m ($80m) of cocaine from drug smugglers during the hurricane season.

It looks like he will return home on August 1 covered in glory. No-one can claim he hasn’t served on the front line — at least in peacetime.