What are Prince William’s motives for choosing the RAF over Kate Middleton?

Whichever way you look at it his motivation for deciding on four more years in the military is hard to read. The choice is made more puzzling by his apparent sudden change of mind.

Just a few weeks ago William seemed set to spend 2009 learning about constitutional affairs, interspersed with some Royal engagements and other duties. Although it was never explicitly spelled out, most observers had pencilled in a summer wedding with Kate Middleton.

Then, anonymous voices claiming inside knowledge began to put it about that marriage had been postponed for 18 months at least. No reason was given, which made the claims less credible at the time.

Last week the absent bits of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place. William had decided to train for the RAF’s Search and Rescue unit and was intent on becoming a helicopter pilot on active duty around Britain’s shores and wild places.

So what were his motivations, and how does Kate feel about his apparent desertion? The obvious reason is that he enjoys the excitement of service life.

It may also be true that he views marriage as a millstone round his neck. However much he likes being with Kate, it may simply be “the institution, stupid”.

It’s possible that only one of these motives is the real one. Which one would be interesting to know. There’s a lesser probability that both figured in his decision, in which case maybe the French Foreign Legion would be a better choice.

If the first reason is the primary cause of his sudden change of heart, it holds up to the world that he may never be ready to settle down into the boring routine of marriage and Royal duty — at least until he is considerably older.

An even longer life for his grandmother, and an extended reign for his father, might be very welcome to the reluctant Prince.

I’m also beginning to think that Kate may share those views, although not to the extent of being separated from him for the best part of four years.

She may recognize that you have to swallow some bad stuff in order to realize your dreams. As a middle-class female she probably has a better grasp on the realities, like the necessity to compromise a little and settle for what you get.

William, though, as a Prince born to greatness and worldwide fame, may just believe he can have it all without any diversions down unwanted paths and alleyways.

There’s a disconnect somewhere here. Let’s hope neither of the two personalities in this affair gets hopelessly hurt.

It may be that a Christmas announcement is still in the schedule for a May or June wedding next year. In which case the trajectory remains intact. But some sources are warning this is not so, and normal life has been postponed in the foreseeable future.

Since the future of the Monarchy rests on their shoulders, it would be of great assistance if someone known and credible explained the reasons behind this radical change of tack to the great British public.

In a surprise announcement from Clarence House this morning, it has emerged that Prince William will not leave the military next year to become a full-time working Royal.

Prince William preparing for a flying mission

He will instead leave the Army and become a full-time member of the RAF’s Air, Sea Search and Rescue team, flying Sea King helicopters.

We understand he will serve for a minimum 30-36-month period, plus 18 months of training, totalling more than four years. He will be 30 or 31 when he finally hangs up his sword.

The work will involve hazardous rescue operations, winching people to safety from cliffs, ships and open seas in all weathers.

In a statement, Prince William said, “It has been a real privilege to have spent the past year understanding and experiencing all aspects of the British Armed Forces.

“I now want to build on the experience and training I have received to serve operationally — especially because, for good reasons, I was not able to deploy to Afghanistan this year with D Squadron of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The time I spent with the RAF earlier this year made me realize how much I love flying.

“Joining Search and Rescue is a perfect opportunity for me to serve in the Forces operationally, while contributing to a vital part of the country’s emergency services.”

In the next few weeks he will become the first member of the Royal Family to train with the elite special forces regiment, the SAS. He will also spend time with the Special Boat Squadron, the sister regiment of the SAS, and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.

It’s obvious that Prince William is not yet ready to resume civilian life and cut the chord with the military. Like Prince Harry he enjoys the rough and tumble of serving with the Armed Forces, but is frustrated he’s not able to join his regiment on the front lines of the two wars they are fighting.

The Air Sea Rescue mission seems an ideal — if hazardous — alternative.

The question of his marriage therefore hangs in the balance. A training period of 18 months accords with several broad hints released to the press that he won’t be marrying for that length of time.

However, it is not beyond the bounds of possibility for him to take a month’s leave from training next summer to accommodate a wedding and honeymoon.

Since Air-Sea Rescue is British-based, Kate could easily live with him in married quarters, whether in Cornwall or Scotland. In those circumstances, nobody could accuse the second-tier Wales’s of shirking their duty to the nation.

Otherwise, the prospect of a wedding mid-2010 is the next window of opportunity, with a very distant date at the end of his service as the last resort. I can’t believe Kate would be willing to wait that long.

Of course, the 18-months line may just have been spun to divert attention from a Christmas announcement.

As always, we shall have to wait and see.

Prince William made a top secret 30-hour flying visit to Afghanistan last week, it has now emerged.

A Royal spokesman said, “He flew out as part of the air crew of a C-17 transport plane on Sunday morning, and landed in Kandahar where he spent about three hours on the ground being briefed on the operations of the RAF and the base there.”

The spokesman added that Prince William then flew in another military transport plane to a Royal Air Force base in Qatar where he spent around two hours being briefed, before flying back to Britain on Monday afternoon. “He’s been on attachment with the RAF for three months, and learning how the RAF operates across the different aspects of the service. The culmination of that was to see the RAF in theatre.”

The trip “passed without a hitch”, the spokesman said.

Kandahar Airfield is the main air hub for British forces in Afghanistan, making it a high-risk target for the Taliban. Later William took his plane on to the Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the stop-off point for most British troops sent into the war zone. After staying the night on the base, he flew back to Britain with his two co-pilots, arriving on Monday afternoon.

We won’t speculate whether William landed the giant transport plane in Kate Middleton’s paddock on the way.

That more or less concludes his highly successful attachment to the RAF, during which he won his Wings and piloted a variety of aircraft on a range of missions.

Next stop the Royal Navy, beginning in June.

Flying in a Tornado fighter / bomber must be a daunting experience after piloting the immense carthorse of the skies, a Chinook helicopter.

Photo by an amateur from a mountain top with William circled

The Tornado GR4 specializes in low-level flying under the enemy radar. Pilots are trained in lonely spots like the Lake District in Cumbria and the Highlands of Scotland.

Yesterday Prince Willam was taken on an 80-minute sortie as part of his acclimatization course in the flying service.

An RAF source said, “We’ve taught the Prince basic flying skills, but this was showing him how we actually fight an aircraft. There were no diversions for any sightseeing. Prince William experienced first hand the combat teeth of the RAF. His flight gave him a clear understanding of the complexities and demands of flying the RAF’s fast jet aircraft on the frontline.”

We hear he tried to wave to Kate Middleton, but by the time he’d raised his arm he was in Scotland. [Joke -- I think]

Judging by the people I’ve spoken to about his exploits in recent weeks, William seems to have come out of it all very well. Most people admire him for his spirit and sense of adventure.

So some stuffy top brass went red in the face and harrumphed for England — no doubt for the benefit of the politicians. But I don’t think that was reflected lower down in the ranks of the RAF where the real work is done.

As a new Knight of the Garter he outranks any Air Marshal on all fronts.