Prince William wants to return as air ambulance pilot to ‘do his bit’ in fight against coronavirus
PRINCE William wants to “do his bit” to help fight the coronavirus pandemic as an air ambulance pilot — though royal duties may prevent his return.
The Duke of Cambridge, 37, spent two years flying medics to emergencies before stepping down in 2017.
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But William has privately said he wants to get back in the cockpit and help out on the front line.
During a visit to a NHS call centre earlier this month he revealed that he missed working in the life-saving role.
However, he is one of only a few senior royals currently working.
Prince Charles is recovering from coronavirus, Andrew is not working due to the Epstein scandal and Harry and Meghan have quit for Hollywood.
A source said: “William has been seriously considering returning as an air ambulance pilot to help in the current pandemic.
“He knows the whole country is doing its bit and he wants to help. But it’s complicated as he was originally grounded from the job so that he could become a senior working royal.
“That role is even more important now given that Charles has been ill, Harry has walked away with Meghan and Andrew has been effectively barred from public life. But William is very keen to do anything he can to help.”
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Wills’ kind-hearted offer comes as deaths from the virus here rose by 180 to 1,408.
Resources are set to be stretched over the coming weeks as death and sickness tolls peak, while NHS workers are also at risk of contracting the bug.
More than 20,000 former NHS staff have already returned to front-line roles to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
William previously described it as a “privilege” to work with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
And he confessed this month to 111 call-centre staff in Croydon, South London, that he yearned to help out the NHS again.
‘WILLIAM MISSES IT’
Tracy Pidgeon, 54, governance lead and call-handler, said: “He was asking about how busy we have been, and what shifts everybody was doing.
“We were saying everybody was working really hard. He misses the helicopter, being on the front line. He just said he misses it.”
William has left London for Anmer Hall, Norfolk, with wife Kate, 38, and kids George, six, Charlotte, four, and 21-month-old Louis. It was where he was living when he flew the air ambulance.
The source said: “There are all sorts of practicalities to overcome such as fitting in on shift patterns. But he’s in the right place now if he wants to do it.”
William helped doctors and paramedics across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, Essex and Hertfordshire.
But he previously admitted that “very traumatic” call-outs involving children took him “over the edge”.
Earlier this month William became patron of the London Air Ambulance Charity.
London Ambulance Service boss Garrett Emmerson said: “As he knows well, we have an air ambulance service here in London.
“I know he would be welcome there any time.”
CHOP TO IT, WILLS
By Arthur Edwards, Sun Royal Photographer
IF Prince William wants to go back to his old job as an Air Ambulance pilot, he should.
I would encourage him to fly again at this time of great crisis.
I imagine as a hard-working royal he wants to do his bit in the fight against coronavirus, rather than sit at home.
With his father only just out of isolation after getting the bug, and his grandmother being kept away from risk, I expect it will be six months before royal engagements get back to normal.
William was a highly trained RAF search and rescue pilot and he did five months more training to fly Air Ambulances in East Anglia. The NHS is already on its knees, and I am sure William would like to help them.
When he flew air ambulances, he was just one of the blokes. He didn’t do it for the fame or the money. He did it because he felt it was his duty.
Do it, Will. Don’t waste your training.
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