Prince William and His Beard Visit the Air Force Base Where He Earned His Wings

The prince took a trip down memory lane.

Prince William at RAF Cranwell
(Image credit: Getty Images/Chris Jackson)

Prince William paid a nostalgic visit to the Royal Air Force (RAF) College in Cranwell, England on Thursday, Sept. 12, returning to the place where he earned his wings in 2008.

The Prince of Wales — who was still sporting his fan-favorite facial hair — attended the Sovereign's Parade on behalf of his father, King Charles, watching on as RAF cadets and international officer cadets graduated at the Air Force station.

Princess Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who lives close to RAF Cranwell, also attended the parade.

Prince William at RAF Cranwell

Prince William attended the Sovereign's Parade on behalf of his father, King Charles III.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Chris Jackson)

RAF Cranwell holds a special place in royal history as it was the place where a young Kate Middleton made her first public appearance with her then-boyfriend following their breakup.

Middleton attended Prince William's 2008 graduation alongside members of the Royal Family, stepping out in a white coat and black tights as she beamed alongside her boyfriend.

Prince William followed in his father's footsteps by attending RAF Cranwell; The King took flying training courses at the Air Force Base in the 1970s.

Royal fans took to X to share their thoughts on William's latest appearance, with one writing, in part, "Seems like the beard is here to stay. Perhaps to mark a new phase after overcoming the ordeal of Princess Catherine's health troubles."

Prince William and Kate Middleton at RAF graduation

Kate Middleton attended Prince William's 2008 RAF Cranwell graduation.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Tim Graham)

Another royal watcher shared a photo of the Prince of Wales from his RAF Cranwell graduation along with one from Thursday's engagement, writing, there was "defintely a gravity there that comes naturally with age."

His appearance Thursday follows the emotional video the Prince and Princess of Wales shared to update the public on the princess's cancer battle earlier this week.

In the moving clip, the Princess of Wales announced she has completed her chemotherapy treatment and is "looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months."

However, she added that her "path to healing and full recovery is long."

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

Read more
Kate Middleton and Prince William walking on to a rugby pitch smiling in March 2025
Kate Middleton Hints That Prince William Might Be Switching Up His Appearance Soon: "These Trends Come and Go"
Prince William looks pensive while walking in front of service aircraft and wearing a suit with a striped tie
Prince William Suddenly Cancels Royal Engagement, Says He Would Have Been "Significantly Restricted"
Kate Middleton wears a large black hat and bright red coat and watches Prince William's passing out ceremony at Sandhurst
Kate Middleton Calls Prince William's Military Uniform "Sexy" in Resurfaced Video From 2006
A black and white headshot photo of Prince William smiling and wearing a dark jacket
Prince William Is Heading to This Country for the First Time—But Princess Kate Won't be Joining Him
Kate Middleton has long, wavy brunette hair and wears a black jacket with a black top and a pearl necklace while gazing at husband Prince William's beard
What Kate Middleton Really Thinks of Prince William's Beard, According to a Former Employee
Kate Middleton wearing a red coat with a bow and a matching hat smiling as her hair blows in the breeze at Commonwealth Day 2025
Princess Kate Isn't Traveling Overseas This Month—But She Is Making This Major Solo Appearance Instead
Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Meghan Markle in a beige shirt on stage at SXSW in March 2024
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Rihanna and A$AP were seen on a casual date night out at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. rihanna wore jeans, a vest, and a new alaia bag
Rihanna Hard-Launches Alaïa's New $2,350 It-Bag With a Baseball Cap and Jeans
Bella Hadid carries the Coach empire bag in New York City with a black mini dress
Bella Hadid Secures Coach's Must-Have Empire Bag, Just Like I Predicted She Would
Selena Gomez wears a cropped blazer and matching trousers while attending the Drew Barrymore show in New York City
Selena Gomez Is the Cropped Blazer Trend's Final Boss
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Rihanna in a head scarf and multiple necklaces
Rihanna’s Jamaica Manicure Will Unite the Caribbean