Regular readers will remember that following the decision to outsource the RAF’s Search and Rescue service to a French-Canadian organization, Royal Anecdotes put in an information request to the Ministry of Defence to clarify Prince William’s position as a dedicated Sea King pilot in the service.

I have now received a reply from Headquarters Air Command, Royal Air Force in Buckinghamshire regarding the “phasing out of the Sea King operations”. The reply is as follows:

“As announced by the MOD in February 2010, Soteria Consortium has been chosen as the preferred bidder to provide the Search and Rescue Helicopter service for the UK. The contract is expected to be finalised in late 2010, at which point a detailed timetable of change will be decided. Presently, the service is anticipated to begin with a phased introduction in 2012 and will progressively take over site by site. The Sea King is expected to be out of service by 2016.

“Prince William hopes to qualify as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot in summer 2010. Once qualified, the Prince will become a full-time RAF Search and Rescue pilot. The normal tour length for a Search and Rescue pilot is 30-36 months, which would take Prince William to late 2012 or 2013.

“It would be inappropriate to speculate on the future of Prince William’s career until the contract replacing the MOD Search and Rescue Helicopter service has been finalised.”

So there we have it. William could serve into 2013, although it does seem unlikely given the uncertainty over the service. The last paragraph highlights that point.

When this story first broke earlier this year, the Conservative Defence Spokesman, Liam Fox, complained that this decision should have been taken after a General Election, probably due on May 6. That suggests he might have reservations over the outsourcing, or the proposed foreign contractor. I will write to Dr Fox asking for details of Conservative policy on this matter.

It now looks as if William’s normal career flow within SAR won’t be altered because of the current arrangements, especially if, as expected, the Conservatives win the election. However, the uncertainty involved may give him an opportunity to bail out before his time is up.

If you were to ask any decent publicist to assess the extended and lengthening relationship beween Prince William and Kate Middleton, the report would make dismal reading.

Information is sparse and much of it false, suggesting not just that reporters are relying on poor sources, but that regular smokescreens are put up to confuse journalists.

The fact is we shouldn’t have been speculating for years about this. If what some courtiers are reported as saying is true (and haven’t we heard that before?) William should have made Kate’s status clear some time ago. Instead she’s almost totally boxed in while getting small windows of his time occasionally.

I can’t help thinking that William has not handled it very well. The sudden SAR announcement last year must have knocked her for six. The only explanation that makes any sense is what a friend of William said three years ago: he’s hoping she’ll get fed up and find someone else.

The problem with that idea is that he did ditch her two years ago then went crawling back after a few months. Even that incident was thought by some to be a ploy to get rid of the paparazzi.

The Mail’s Richard Kay, who knew William as a boy, hinted in a TV documentary last year that Kate was being used as a decoy for other activities. With his contacts within the Palace, that must be taken seriously. But then the thought arises as to what these other activities are. Speculation from sporadic facts is never profitable and can be wildly wrong.

The signals are all over the place. It’s beginning to remind me of Gordon Brown. Not a good sign.

Prince William shrugged off a pointed question about his marriage plans during a visit to a new rehabilitation centre for service personnel in a former private hospital.

The new President of the British Film Academy (BAFTA) was asked by Simon Brown, a blind serviceman, if he might be invited to his wedding. William replied jokingly, “You’ll have to wait a while yet, I think”.

It was said in a way that seemed to push the event into the distant future. Indeed, if any such occasion were planned, we would be seeing much more of Kate Middleton and her family.

No such publicity programme is underway or on the horizon. The disappearance of Kate is one of the mysteries of the Royal scene at present.

Apart from a genuine friendship there doesn’t seem any enthusiasm from William to promote a future bride to the public.

If the plans for a Middleton family cake shop on the Fulham Road in Chelsea are to be believed, a Royal wedding is not in the offing any time soon.

It has been announced in the South West of England tonight that the Search and Rescue operations at RAF Chivenor, covering North Cornwall and North Devon, are to be phased out during nighttime hours as a money-saving exercise.

A Sea King helicopter used by RAF Search and Rescue

The slack will be taken up by bases in Barry, South Wales and RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall.

Further down the line, it’s understood that RAF Sea King flights will be replaced by private services from 2012.

Prince William has just graduated as a Sea King Search and Rescue pilot and is currently undergoing further training in Anglesey, North Wales prior to taking up full operational duties.

The question he must be asking is quite where he will fit into an operation that is rapidly being scaled down and privatized. It is unthinkable that the MoD has not factored his role into their plans.

Could it be that he has made a bad career move and, like many ordinary people across the land, will find himself stranded without a job?

His brother, Prince Harry, is currently training to be an attack helicopter pilot with the Army and hopes to serve again in Afghanistan at some point in the future. It looks as if he, at least, has some job security.

Will these circumstances free William to take up his Royal role earlier than predicted, perhaps before the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in 2012?

And what of an early marriage?