Prince William joined forces with a very popular foreign royal on Wednesday for a visit to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire. Alongside Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, the Prince of Wales recieved a special tour of the site in an engagement with a poignant connection to both Princes.
The two heirs toured the premises and oversaw the work at the base, while also meeting with trainee aircrew and staff from two squadrons. William and Hussein then heard from personnel about their roles on site and experiences being deployed in operations around the world.
The visit also coincides with the 110th anniversary of No. 22 Squadron.
RAF Benson is a key military base that provides rapid support for various operations worldwide.
It is home to a number of Squadrons, including No.22 Squadron, which provides operational testing, evaluation, tactics and training for all aviation in Joint Aviation Command and No.28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, which is the Chinook operational conversion unit, training aircrew before they fly on the front line.
The two heirs share a great deal in common and have met many times before, including during William’s 2018 visit to the Middle East.
Another shared interest between the pair is their interest in the Armed Forces. William previously trained at both RAF Shawbury and as a search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley with No. 22 Sqn, which reformed at RAF Benson in 2020.
Hussein, meanwhile, is also a trained helicopter pilot, having completed his training with the Royal Jordanian Air Force in 2019 and is currently a Major in the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Prince William and Princess Kate also memorably attended Crown Prince Hussein’s 2023 wedding to Crown Princess Rajwa, alongside Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.