Princess Kate steps into William's former role with King Charles' blessing

Princess Kate is making her family proud as she marks the start of a new era for the royal family.

On Thursday, October 2, the Princess of Wales carried out her first visit to the RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire ever since being appointed the Royal Honorary Air Commodore in August 2023 by King Charles. The title was previously held by her husband, Prince William, for 15 years.

Kate arrived in style via helicopter, dressed in a grey slim fit Bella Freud check suit paired with an Alexander McQueen top. With her newly lightened hair tied back, the future Queen looked ready as ever to acquaint herself with the RAF’s work.

The mom-of-three’s visit began with a briefing on recent operations, including NATO missions in Poland, before stepping inside a Typhoon jet. She also toured the Typhoon Future Synthetic Training facility and met Quick Reaction Alert personnel, who are on 24/7 standby to intercept potential airspace threats.

Lastly, Princess Catherine met personnel, families, and welfare staff before departing the base.

The visit carried special meaning for Kate, whose grandfather, Captain Peter Middleton, served as an RAF pilot and once co-piloted with Prince Philip.

In addition to the Royal Honorary Air Commodore, Kate was also appointed the position of Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm.