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From a very early age, Prince William knew his destiny. His parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana made sure that he knew what was expected of him. He was also very close with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II and she took him under his wing explaining some of the things that came with being the Sovereign monarch.

Though his parents, Princess Diana in particular, fought to give Prince William and his younger brother, Prince Harry as normal childhoods as possible, the Duke of Cambridge has always known that the role of the Crowned King would ultimately be his landing place.

Despite such a huge weight on him, Prince Willam has also had moments of levity. In college at St. Andrew’s University, he enjoyed a degree of freedom that he’d never experienced before. He was also able to graduate and work in a dream job for several years before he was forced to give it up.

Prince William didn’t want to be king

Though he’s taken on his current role and future one with poise and grace following Megxit, Prince William never wanted to be king. It’s something his mother was very aware of when he was a young boy.

“We talked about our children, and [Princess Diana] said William often told her that he didn’t really want to be king, and then Harry would say, ‘If you don’t want the job I’ll have it,’” journalist Jeremy Paxman recalled.

Prince Harry has previously remarked that it’s a role that no one truly wants. “We are involved in modernizing the British monarchy. We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people,” the Duke of Sussex told Newsweek. “Is there anyone of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.”

Prince William loved being an ambulance pilot

After graduating from St. Andrew’s University in 2004, Prince William attended the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England. He still reflects on his experience as some of the best times of his life.

He did stints with the Royal Air Force where he learned to fly and with the Royal Navy. However, because of his future royal role, a long-term career in the military was seen as impossible. He was also prevented from seeing any real combat during his time in the military.

As a compromise, the prince was able to train to become an ambulance pilot where he worked on rescue missions in the military and then with East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). Unfortunately, he was forced to give up his career in 2017 to focus on hs increased royal duties following Prince Philip’s retirement from public life.

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Queen Elizabeth made Prince William give up his dream career

Prince William gave up his dream career in 2017, but now it appears that he’s reconsidering it.

“William was desperate to stay in the military and of course he trained to be a helicopter pilot,”  royal commentator Simon Vigar explained in the documentary William and Kate: Too Good to be True. “But in the end, he wasn’t allowed anywhere near the frontline. The ultimate boss said no because he is second-in-line to the throne. He retrained as a search and rescue pilot on Anglesey. He helped save many, many lives flying that yellow helicopter around the British Isles. So that gave him a meaningful role. And that meant an awful lot to him.”

In fact, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the prince seriously considered returning back to work. “He knows the whole country is doing its bit and he wants to help,” a source told The Sun. “But it’s complicated as he was originally grounded from the job so that he could become a senior working royal. That role is even more important now given that Charles has been ill, Harry has walked away with Meghan, and Andrew has been effectively barred from public life. But William is very keen to do anything he can to help.”

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