Prince William praises air ambulance workers in personal open letter

Prince William has penned a personal open letter to the United Kingdom’s 21 air ambulance charities, thanking them for their tireless work, to mark the start of Air Ambulance Week.

The letter was shared on social media by charity Air Ambulances UK on Monday evening (GMT), alongside a caption which read: “We’re delighted to mark the start of Air Ambulance Week 2020 with an open letter written by HRH The Duke of Cambridge to the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities thanking all who work, volunteer & support them in their tireless efforts in helping to save lives every day across the UK.”

Prince William, who spent two years working as an air ambulance pilot before stepping away to focus on his royal responsibilities, reflected on his own service in the letter and said he has first-hand experience of the “incredible” work they do.

“I hold a profound respect for all that you do,” the Duke of Cambridge wrote. “Whether you are part of the critical care team bringing vital medical support to patients when every second counts; and engineer who ensures that crews can be safely deployed at a moment’s notice; or a volunteer working to keep the service running, the country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude.”

William added: “Your tireless dedication to saving lives and helping those in times of greatest need is a source of huge pride for our country.”

We're delighted to mark the start of Air Ambulance Week 2020 with an open letter written by HRH The Duke of Cambridge to the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities thanking all who work, volunteer & support them in their tireless efforts in helping to save lives every day across the UK pic.twitter.com/XhYKArgdTT

— Air Ambulances UK (@AirAmbulancesUK) September 7, 2020

Following his military service in the Royal Air Force, during which he trained and served with the RAF’s Search and Rescue Force, Prince William began working full-time as an air ambulance pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance in July 2015. Despite the position being paid, William made the decision to donate his entire salary to the EAAA charity.

Prince William quit the role in July 2017 in order to focus more time on his royal responsibilities, on behalf of his grandmother Her Majesty the Queen. Earlier this year, the duke was also appointed as the official patron of London’s Air Ambulance Charity.

Many members of the public echoed William’s comments, with one person writing: “Lovely message from Prince William and every word is so true, the Air Ambulance Service is vital. Thank you for all that you do.”

Another commented: “May I add my thanks and best wishes to all the U.K. teams. Duty and service of the best order.” While another said: “Amazing to see and some great words from my favourite mentor. Well done.”