2:32
- ABC News
- Royal Family
- July 27, 2017
Prince William ends tenure as an air ambulance pilot
William, 35, will now focus full-time on royal duties.
2:32
William also opened up in the letter about the mental health aspects of his job with East Anglia.
\"I have also been very fortunate to work with an organization which recognizes the stress its staff deals with and puts their welfare as such a high priority,\" he wrote. \"You need to be physically and mentally fit to do this job properly and so we are encouraged to talk through the things we have seen, to share the trauma within the team.\"
William, Princess Kate and Prince Harry formed the Heads Together campaign last year to bring attention to the issue of mental health. William and Harry, 32, have also opened up publicly over the past year about coping with grief after the loss of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
William said one of his first rescue efforts left him determined to bring attention to mental health awareness.
\"As a team, we travel to some very daunting incidents and we have been though some incredibly tough times together, witnessing some appalling tragedies\" he wrote. \"One of the first call outs I made was to a young man who had taken his own life; it was an incredibly tough day and had a profound effect on all of us, not least in my determination now to draw attention to this issue.\"
William and Kate will now focus on royal duties full-time. William's grandfather, Prince Philip, 96, announced his retirement earlier this year, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, 91, no longer does long-haul travel.
The end of William's tenure with East Anglia also coincides with plans for Prince George, 4, to attend school in London this fall. George, who had been attending the Westacre Montessori School near the couple's country home, Anmer Hall, will attend Thomas's Battersea School, not far from the family's base at Kensington Palace.
William and Kate valued the normalcy that William's job as an air ambulance pilot and a RAF search and rescue pilot in Wales gave them. It allowed the couple to provide George and his sister, Princess Charlotte, 2, with a life away from the spotlight, splitting their time between London and Norfolk.
Just last weekend, William, Kate, George and Charlotte returned from a royal tour in Germany and Poland.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/britain-royal-family-germany-gty-jt-170723_4x3t_384.jpg\")
It was George's third royal tour. His first took place as a toddler in 2014 to Australia and New Zealand, and the couple brought both their children for the first time as a family to Canada last fall.
The children are slowly being introduced to their future life as young royals. On the family's trip to Poland and Germany, Charlotte showed off an adorable curtsy on the red carpet, and both children politely shook the hands of dignitaries.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/prince-william-flying-time-overnight-air-ambulance-pilot/story?id=48872152","legacySlug":"/culture/story/prince-william-flying-time-overnight-air-ambulance-pilot-48872152","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"12:55","publishDate":"07-27-2017","updatedTime":"15:39","updatedDate":"07-27-2017","socialImage":{"alt":"Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, prepares to board an East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) at Cambridge Airport in England, July 13, 2015. ","credit":"Stefan Rousseau/AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/prince-william-ambulance-pilot-ap-jpo-170726_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"7/27/2017 12:55:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":48872152,"headline":"Prince William ends tenure as an air ambulance pilot ","mediaAssetTitle":"DURAND_prince_william_170726","description":"William, 35, will now focus full-time on royal duties. ","duration":"2:32","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/07/170725_gma_pilgrim_0815_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Prince William ends tenure as an air ambulance pilot ","description":"William, 35, will now focus full-time on royal duties. ","duration":"2:32","uploadDate":"07-27-2017","publication":"07-27-2017","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/07/170725_gma_pilgrim_0815_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/07/170725_gma_pilgrim_0815_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/prince-william-flying-time-overnight-air-ambulance-pilot-48872152"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Prince William ends tenure as an air ambulance pilot ","pubTime":"08:55","pubDate":"07-27-2017","modTime":"11:39","modDate":"07-27-2017","taxonomyTags":"none","id":48872152,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Prince William ends tenure as an air ambulance pilot ","mediaAssetTitle":"DURAND_prince_william_170726","videoId":48872152,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/prince-william-flying-time-overnight-air-ambulance-pilot-48872152"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/48872152","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/48872152","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};