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Duty has finally called for Prince William—today, after two years, he’s stepping down from his role as an air ambulance pilot to focus on his royal responsibilities. It was sure to be a bittersweet moment for the prince, but not much was known about what, and how much, he did in the role. Until today.
In an emotional letter to the Eastern Daily Press, the prince recalled, in detail, how some of his most harrowing rescues fundamentally changed him and his worldview. “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,” he wrote. “Another rescue that sticks in my mind was to a young man who was involved in a road accident. His uncle in the car with him sadly didn’t survive, and I was sure that from what we were faced with he wouldn’t either, but thanks to the skills of our medical team he is alive today. We were first on scene and in such circumstances we all had to pitch in to fight to save the young man’s life. It is days like this, when you know you have made a difference, that give you the determination to keep going.”
He also delved into the mental struggles he and other medical personnel faced due to trauma exposure.
“As part of the team, I have been invited into people’s homes to share moments of extreme emotion, from relief that we have given someone a fighting chance, to profound grief,” he said. “I now know though that there are things that cannot be unseen and experiences that our first responders deal with on a daily basis that they will carry with them for life.”
William’s letter is the latest in a string of progressive, revealing moments from the next-gen royals. But for William, the stakes are even higher: As Prince Philip retires from public life, and the Queen advances in age, it’s up to the crown prince to define what it means to be a monarch in the 21st century.
And what will the world under Will look like? Still murky—after all, his father, Prince Charles, hasn’t even ascended to the throne. But if his recent actions are any indication, it looks like the British tradition of keeping a stiff upper lip may be replaced with keeping it real.