London:
Britain’s two-year-old Prince George on Friday joined his father Prince William and mother Kate Middleton on his first official engagement at an air show in south-west England.
The toddler, who will soon celebrate his third birthday on July 22, is reportedly crazy about planes and even got a chance to sit in the cockpit of one of Britain’s Red Arrows jets at the Royal International Air Tattoo, the world’s largest military airshow, at Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire.
“It was a nice family moment. The Duke [William] was talking about ways of flying. George was very, very quiet,” said Flight Lieutenant Jim Hobkirk of the Central Flying School Exam Wing, who showed William, Kate and George the Squirrel helicopter.
The third in line to Britain’s throne arrived in his mother Duchess of Cambridge’s arms to the event and waved to waiting crowds and pointed at airplanes flying above the site. He wore blue sound-blocking headphones as he descended from a helicopter with his parents.
Kate is patron of the UK’s Air Cadet Organisation and will be present as the Air Tattoo stages official celebrations to mark the Air Cadets’ 75th anniversary.
The event is staged in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, which aims to support the RAF and encourage interest of the aviation industry among young people.
The Air Tattoo’s theme for 2016 is ‘The Next Generation: Inspiring Innovation’. “To have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with us effectively rewards all their efforts with a Royal stamp of approval,” said Andy Armstrong, Chief Executive of RAF Charitable Trust Enterprises.
Kate and William have a strong relationship with the RAF, with William having served with the Search and Rescue Force while based at RAF Valley in Anglesey in Wales in the early years of their marriage.
