Almost a month after welcoming Princess Charlotte with wife Kate Middleton, Prince William headed back to work as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. The Duke of Cambridge has been on a combination of unpaid leave and paternity leave but is returning to his job where he is in the final stages of his pilot training. When he is fully qualified, William will be responsible for transporting patients to the hospital in the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk areas of England.
The role is particularly suited for the future King, given that his wife Kate and the couple's two children, Prince George and baby Charlotte, are based nearby in the family's country home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Last year it was announced that William would take on the full-time job with the charity. The Palace also said he would donate his full salary, estimated to be around $60,000 a year, to the organization.
The 32-year-old completed the first phase of his pilot training at the end of April, allowing him to begin his paternity leave earlier than expected. At the time, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said that the Duke performed well on training modules.
Before working with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, William served as a search and rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force. He had to take new exams in order to qualify specifically as an air ambulance pilot, which he passed in February of this year.
While on paternity leave, the Queen's grandson no doubt spent quality time bonding with his newborn baby daughter and taking care of his first-born George. The popular Prince, however, didn't neglect his royal duties and dutifully carried out various engagements.
His first appearance took place just two weeks after Charlotte was born, when William attended a meeting in Switzerland for the United for Wildlife movement, followed by handing out awards on behalf of the Queen, meeting with England's women's soccer team and giving a speech at a celebration for the conservation charity Tusk Trust.