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.

There are reports today that Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy are once again on collision course for breakup.

Chelsy Davy in despondent mood

Last year’s split came as a result of Chelsy’s despair over Harry hardly ever visiting her at Leeds University, where she suffered considerable initial culture shock over the city’s cold, dark climate and generally grubby demeanour.

However, that breakup was later put down to the couple creating a cover story for Harry’s top secret mission to Afghanistan. Whatever the real reason, it’s well known there were tensions in their often sparky relationship.

Now, with Chelsy flying off to South Africa at the end of her first year of a two-year post-graduate course in law and business, the same complaint seems to be repeating itself.

With Harry on a training exercise with the Army, some believe his new passion for being around “military types” is interfering with his long-term need for Chelsy.

The couple are set to holiday together soon and friends hope they can sort out their difficulties as they have in the past. Friends of Chelsy and Kate Middleton have said that young men become “impossible” when they join the Army. The intense comradely pull to be part of the group can easily destroy other non-military relationships.

A friend of Harry is reported as snapping, “Harry is incorrigible. He is at that age when he likes drinking with his mates. Chelsy will have to resign herself to that or it will be over.”

This powerful influence on both Harry and to some extent Prince William has apparently convinced some courtiers that the Royal brothers need to be exposed to other lifestyles.

William’s new press officer is likely to be very different from the Equerry and military minder types to which they have been long exposed.

Just coming in over the wires :

Prince William’s ship HMS Iron Duke has intercepted a reported £40m ($80m) consignment of cocaine during its anti-drug-smuggling patrols in the Atlantic near Barbados.

In a joint-operation with the U.S. Coastguard, the frigate caught an ocean-going speedboat presumed bound for Europe or West Africa. It’s known that the Navy wants William to play a full part in these operations.

Kate Middleton will be pleased to hear her boyfriend is in the thick of things.

The British Commanding Officer Mark Newland said, “This is a fantastic start to HMS Iron Duke’s North Atlantic deployment. To have had a direct impact on the flow of cocaine into Europe just four days after we arrived in theatre shows the benefit the Royal Navy can have in the area of maritime security and counter drug operations. From the first moment the Lynx helicopter discovered the suspect vessel, my ship’s company, working hand in glove with our U.S. Coast Guard colleagues, turned this opportunity into a certainty and ultimately a successful seizure.”

Interesting that the latest figures show £40m is the annual cost of the Monarchy. Clearly, the Prince is doing his bit to pay that off.

£100 cocktails all round at Boujis tonight.

Prince William is seeking his own personal press secretary. The prestigious appointment begins next year, suggesting that a major “change of use” is set to occur.

Until now William has relied on his father’s press office for spin-doctoring services, but clearly wishes to branch out on his own once he finishes his stint with the Armed Forces. With Prince Charles’s expensive media machine already in situ it’s hard to see why William would need his own office if he were planning to remain at Clarence House next year. The proposed appointment indicates he is planning to set up a home of his own.

The new press officer will cover the Prince’s day-to-day engagements and field questions about his private life. The successful candidate will need to be a top professional with knowledge of Royal affairs and a sensitivity to the political landscape. He or she could expect to receive a handsome remuneration package along the lines of Prince Charles’s arrangements and may even be paid by the Duchy of Cornwall.

With William’s Army career ending in January, it’s doubtful whether SAS officer Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton will continue in his job as his Private Secretary. By some accounts his main role has been keeping the exuberant Prince Harry out of trouble, while facilitating William’s workflow in the military. He may, of course, stay on as Prince Harry’s fixer and troubleshooter.

It looks as if 2009 will be a watershed for the second-in-line to the Throne. The same may be said of Kate Middleton. Even with more time on his hands, it’s unlikely William would set up a new household without Kate. It would inevitably lead to speculation that they had split up again.

The new look for William’s life has all the feel of a well thought-through plan organized by the military — as the best Royal events are.

A newly-independent Prince William, together with Kate, will cut quite a dash on the public scene.