Prince William wants to RETURN to the NHS as an air ambulance pilot

Prince William wants to return to the NHS as an air ambulance pilot to do his bit in the fight against the deadly coronavirus as it continues to rip across Britain.

The Duke of Cambridge, who flew as a medic for two years with the East Anglian Air Ambulance until 2017, has suggested he misses it.

The 37-year-old Royal is understood to have made the confession during a visit to a NHS call centre in Croydon, south London, earlier this month.

A source told the Sun: ‘William has been seriously considering returning as an air ambulance pilot to help in the current pandemic.

‘He knows the whole country is doing its bit and he wants to help. 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.’

It comes as:

• The UK death toll increased by 180 in a day to 1,408, a decrease on recent days;
• Ministers are embroiled in a furious row over coronavirus testing as it emerged one in four NHS doctors is off sick;
• A British doctor revealed that a vaccine for the disease could be available by January;
• The Government’s scientific adviser said social distancing measures were having a big effect on possible transmission
• The World Health Organisation warned that the virus could surge again once lockdowns were lifted;
• Healthcare workers warned they were still unable to order protective equipment, despite promises from ministers;
• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab promised to fly tens of thousands of stranded Britons home following an arrangement with airlines;
• No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings revealed he was self-isolating after developing symptoms;
• One of the country’s former top judges said Britain risked becoming a ‘police state’ if forces continue to abuse their powers;
• A study claimed that people can still be infectious with coronavirus as long as eight days after their symptoms end;
• The Prince of Wales, who tested positive for coronavirus last week, is out of self-isolation;
• The number of global cases passed 750,000.

Prince William is seeing out the public health crisis at Anmer Hall in Norfolk with his wife Kate, 38, and children George, six, Charlotte, four, and Louis, one.

His father Prince Charles, 71, was on Monday let out of self-isolation a week after being diagnosed with the coronavirus.

The Queen, 93, and Duke of Edinburgh, 98, are in ‘good health’ and staying away from public life as they keep to themselves in Windsor Castle.

Meanwhile Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, have shunned the Family during the crisis and are living in Los Angeles after scurrying across the border from Vancouver Island, Canada, before it shut.

Prince William worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance for 18 months between 2015 and 2017, before stepping down to take on more Royal roles on behalf of the Queen.

This could be the problem for the Prince as his jam-packed schedule may make it hard for him to take on further responsibilities.

But the source claimed that if the senior Royal was to reprise his role, he is currently in the right place to do it in Norfolk.

Earlier this month, William became the patron of the London Air Ambulance Charity, which was established in 1989, and provides rapid emergency care in the capital.

As patron, the Duke of Cambridge is set to champion the important work carried out by the group across the capital.

A statement from Kensington Palace, the Prince’s official residence, read: ‘His Royal Highness has seen first-hand the impact these first responders have upon the lives of patients with critical injuries.

Last year, the father-of-three was patron of London Air Ambulance’s 30th anniversary campaign for the duration of 2019. 

In January 2019, he visited the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where he met with clinicians, paramedics, pilots and crew members and piloted the helicopter the London Air Ambulance kept there on stand-by.

In November of the same year, he attended the charity’s gala and was hailed ‘one of their own’ by the staff in attendance.

Jonathan Jenkins, the CEO of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, said: ‘We are honoured that The Duke of Cambridge has chosen to become Patron of London’s Air Ambulance charity after getting to know us last year. The Duke truly understands our work and knows that every second counts in an emergency.’

He added: ‘We know that with his help as well as the continued support of the public, our crews can reach those who need them most – serving the people of London 24 hours a day, every day of the year.’

William took up the position as pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance service in July 2015, and worked there until his last shift in 2017.

He left the role to spend more time in London when his children started school at Thomas’s, Battersea, and take on more royal duties to support the Queen.

In a statement at the time, issued on his behalf by Kensington Palace, he said it was a ‘privilege’ to fly with the organisation. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have already weighed in to help Britons who have been affected by the coronavirus.

On Saturday they revealed they were launching a £5million scheme with the charity Mind to support the nation’s mental health at a time of high anxiety during the lockdown.

They urged people to follow guidance from Public Health England by using video calls to keep in touch with family and friends, sticking to regular routines and focusing on their favourite hobbies or trying to learn something new.

The Cambridges’ intervention is part of a Government initiative that will see £5million awarded to mental health charities to expand support services.

They wrote: ‘Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health — in recent weeks The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time.’

Mind is one of a consortium of charities preparing to adapt and increase their services during the lockdown.         

Prince Charles is out of self-isolation: Palace confirms future king, 71, is in ‘good health’ after recovering from coronavirus and out of government-advised week-long quarantine

• The 71-year-old Prince of Wales had ‘mild’ form of the illness which first saw him feel unwell two weekends ago
• Camilla tested negative for the bug and is without symptoms, but will stay self-isolated until end of the week
•  Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have been staying at Birkhall, their Scottish retreat which is on Balmoral estate
• The Prince was following government advice to self-isolate for seven days after he first had the symptoms

Prince Charles was yesterday allowed out of self-isolation one week after being diagnosed with coronavirus and is in ‘good health’, royal aides have said.

The 71-year-old Prince of Wales had a ‘mild’ form of the illness which first saw him feel unwell two weekends ago before flying to Birkhall in Aberdeenshire.

The heir-to-the-throne had begun to feel ill on March 21 at his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire before travelling up to Scotland the following day. 

His wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall tested negative for the infection and is without any symptoms, but will stay in self-isolation until the end of the week.

Charles was following government advice to self-isolate for seven days after he first had the symptoms. However, those who live with someone with symptoms must self-isolate for 14 days, because it can take this long for the symptoms to appear.

The couple have been staying at Birkhall, their Scottish retreat on the Balmoral estate, and Charles was tested by the NHS on Monday of last week.

His self-isolation lasted seven days based on government and medical guidelines, and he will continue to be able to hold meetings and go for exercise.

A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘Clarence House has confirmed that, having consulted with his doctor, the Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation.’

Meanwhile it emerged yesterday one of the Queen’s footmen has tested positive for coronavirus, sparking further fears for the monarch’s health.

However Buckingham Palace insisted again that the 93-year-old Queen was in good health and that every precaution was being taken.

It is understood the staff member’s duties included walking the Queen’s dogs, corgi-dachshund crosses Candy and Vulcan, and bringing her food.

Both of these duties would have brought the pair into close proximity. It is not known, however, when they fell sick.

The footman is now self-isolating, according to The Sun on Sunday. The Queen is at Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh, where they arrived on March 19.

Charles last saw his mother on March 12 for a meeting at Buckingham Palace. Doctors say the earliest he could have become contagious was the next day.

The footman was promoted to a role closer to the Queen six months ago and worked in her private apartments at Buckingham Palace.

A source was quoted as saying: ‘Everyone is terrified, not just for themselves but also for the Queen and the duke.’

Last week, a member of the Scottish Parliament expressed surprise that the Prince was tested for Covid-19 on the NHS.

Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, wished him a speedy recovery but added: ‘Given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested.

‘My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test.’

Royal sources insisted, however, that both Charles and Camilla met ‘local criteria for testing’.

The NHS Scotland website says people will only generally be tested for Covid-19 if they ‘have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital’. 

Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, defended the decision to test Charles and his wife, saying there were ‘very good reasons’.

She said: ‘My understanding is there were very good reasons for that person and his wife to be tested, and obviously I wouldn’t be able to disclose anything else that I know because of patient confidentiality.’

Footage of Charles joining the nation in applauding the country’s health workers last Friday, while still suffering from the virus, was posted on Clarence House’s official Instagram account.

Clarence House, Charles’s official London office, is currently closed down as a result of the virus lockdown, with staff working from home.

Charles has had a packed public schedule, including the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, where he was with Boris Johnson and his pregnant partner Carrie Symonds, and other senior royals, including the Queen.

Mr Johnson has also since tested positive for coronavirus, although this was nearly three weeks after their meeting. 

On March 10, Charles attended a round table conference with Prince Albert of Monaco, who subsequently revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19.

That week Charles also met celebrities including Ant and Dec and Ronnie Wood at a major Prince’s Trust Event, held an investiture at Buckingham Palace, and attended a charity dinner with Lord Archer and his wife, Dame Mary.

On March 13, the prince went to stay at Highgrove, where he was visited by the Duchess of Cornwall, who has a home, Raymill, nearby, and held private meetings with staff, organisations and tenants.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘£4m a year’ security bill: Couple face huge costs for new life after quitting UK… as they hire ‘ex-SAS’ guards, finally ditch ‘Sussex Royal’ brand and take on new chief of staff who worked for Melinda Gates

by Rebecca English for the Daily Mail

• A spokesman for them confirmed last night that they had decided to meet the burden met by British taxpayers
• They will fund the cost of protection out of their own pockets after stepping down as senior working royals
• Their security personnel will reportedly consist of former SAS soldiers at a cost of £400 per operative per day
• Charles will continue to pay for the upkeep of the couple for the first year of their new life out of private funds

Harry and Meghan have agreed to pay for the cost of their security personally, the Mail can reveal – which could cost them £4million a year.

A spokesman for the couple confirmed last night that they had decided to meet the burden met by British taxpayers and fund the cost of their protection out of their own pockets after stepping down as senior working royals.

Their security personnel will reportedly consist of former SAS soldiers at a cost of £400 per operative per day. 

Prince Charles will continue to pay for the upkeep of his son and daughter-in-law for the first 12 months of their new life out of his private funds, not the Duchy of Cornwall. But it is understood that this money will not be used for their protection.

A Sussex spokesman said: ‘Security costs are being personally covered by the couple.’

The development suggests that the Sussexes have negotiated a clean break, in which they will now receive no public money, only funding from Prince Charles’s personal fortune until they start to earn an income of their own.

A source said: ‘The Prince of Wales supports them privately but the duke and duchess also have their own money. They are paying for this themselves. The duke has been adamant on that.’

According to The Sun, a unit of former SAS soldiers, who have previously worked for A-List celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie, will protect the family.

It came as Buckingham Palace made a series of announcements about Harry and Meghan’s future. From tomorrow, they will no longer speak for or represent the couple.

Beverly Hills celebrity bodyguard Russell Stuart, whose firm Force Protection Agency has looked after A-list celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey, estimated that their private security will cost around $5million (£4million) a year.

He said: ‘They will each need between two to four guards with them at all times. Every residence they class as a home will also need to be permanently looked after.

‘They are two of the most famous people on the planet. They will need security now more than ever.’

Meanwhile, the Sussexes closed the door on their royal careers last night with a typically effusive message on Instagram.

Signing off their Sussex Royal social media feed, Harry and Meghan told their 11million followers: ‘Thank you to this community for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world.

‘We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great. Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another. Harry and Meghan.’

After initially insisting that they would ‘collaborate’ with the Queen by adopting a ‘half in, half out’ strategy, the couple concluded by confirming that they would now be scrapping plans for their own royal foundation and closing down their official communication channels.

It was a humiliating climbdown given the grand plans Harry and Meghan first outlined when they announced they would be quitting their royal roles back in January.

Here is how it could play out:

Immediate future

Harry and Meghan say they will spend the next few months ‘focusing on their family’.

They also state they will continue to do what they can – ‘safely and privately’ – to support their pre-existing charitable commitments while developing their own future non-profit organisation. There was no mention of how they would start earning their own money.

Sussex Royal

They will no longer use this name for their charitable organisation, Instagram or website.

The couple stressed that this was agreed with the Royal Family. But sources have repeatedly told the Mail they had every intention of using it until the Queen and senior aides put their foot down. A spokesman for the couple confirmed from tomorrow, the SussexRoyal Instagram account and website will be suspended.

Sussex Royal Foundation

The major vehicle for the couple’s charitable initiatives, which was in the process of being established in the UK, is being wound up.

After splitting their household and philanthropic work from that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last year, the couple had intended for this to be the showcase for their future projects. But after the Queen made clear that the couple would no longer be able to use the word ‘royal’, they were forced back to the drawing board.

Travalyst

This new sustainable tourism initiative led by Prince Harry will now be the focus of their efforts.

Travalyst is a laudable collation of travel industry leaders who want to find ways to make environmentally friendly travel easier, and encourage people to holiday in way that benefits local communities, particularly in the developing world. This will now be established as an independent non-profit organisation, based in the UK.

Patronages

Harry and Meghan remain ‘committed and supportive’ to their patronages and will continue to work closely with them, their spokesman says. For Meghan this includes The National Theatre and Smart Works, which provides women wanting to get back into work with a new interview outfit and mentoring.

Harry will continue to work with organisations such as WellChild, the RFU and Invictus Games.

Review at 12 months

This will give both sides the chance to see whether the new arrangements are working.

Sources close to Harry and Meghan insist they will not let the Queen down and are determined to prove to Her Majesty that they can make their new roles work.

Public Relations

They have – finally – officially announced that their PR is being managed by the sharp-elbowed US agency, Sunshine Sachs, who worked with Meghan when she was an actress in TV drama Suits. In reality, it has been managed by them for many months.

Frogmore Cottage

There was no mention of the five-bedroom residence on the Windsor estate in the announcement.

The couple have insisted on keeping it as a UK base but have agreed to pay back the £2.4 million of taxpayer money spent on its refurbishment.

New chief of staff

Harry and Meghan confirmed that they have managed to tempt one of Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda’s leading executives.

Catherine St-Laurent has been hired as ‘chief of staff’ and ‘executive director’ of their non-profit enterprise. She was the director at Pivotal Ventures, Melinda Gates’ women and families foundation, supporting campaigns that aimed to help improve the lives of women around the globe.

In a departing email to staff, she announced: ‘I am thrilled to be able to play a supporting role in realising their vision and enabling them to achieve impact on the issues that matter most to them.’

A friend told the Mail that the Canadian-born French speaker was ‘feisty, fair and up for a tough conversation’, adding: ‘But if all goes wrong, she is good for a laugh and a cocktail afterwards. She’s a good egg. She’ll bring a clean-sheet perspective.’

The mother of two said in a statement: ‘I am delighted and honored to be able to play a role in realising their vision as they embark on this journey of learning, listening, and inspiring all of us to act.’

Refusal to pick up tab for Harry and Meghan’s security is Donald Trump’s revenge after couple’s insults, writes TOM LEONARD 

Back in May 2016, Meghan Markle was yet to meet her prince when – as a star of the TV drama Suits – she appeared on an obscure late-night US chat show.

The women’s rights firebrand held forth on the awfulness of Donald Trump, then the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for the presidency.

Not only was he ‘divisive’ and ‘misogynistic’ but he had ‘made it easy to see that you don’t really want that kind of world he is painting for us’, she complained.

Meghan, at the time living in Toronto while filming her TV series, warned that Mr Trump’s election would be so terrible that ‘I might just stay in Canada’ and not come back to the US.

Fateful words. Nearly four years later, she has been offered the same choice and, it appears, leapt at the chance of fleeing over the border. Even though it meant quitting liberal Canada – under the benign administration of her friend Justin Trudeau – for life under the politician she most detests in Los Angeles.

President Trump has already shown he inherited his Scottish-born mother Mary’s adoration of the pomp and ceremony of the Royal Family, not to mention her love for the Queen, but he hasn’t exactly rolled out the red carpet for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In a tweet on Sunday he put the kibosh on any hope they may have had of the US footing the bill for their protection. ‘I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen and the United Kingdom,’ wrote Mr Trump. ‘It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the US. However, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!’

Although the Sussexes quickly put out a statement insisting they’d never intended to ask Washington for help and have their own ‘privately-funded security arrangements’, thank you, it left the impression that they had yet again failed to do proper planning.

The couple really shouldn’t have been surprised that the president should try to rain on their parade in the sunshine state.

After all, Meghan snubbed Mr Trump when he came to the UK for a state visit – and a snub it was, whatever was said about her being excused royal duties as she was on maternity leave.

Although Prince Harry at least deigned to meet The Donald, he appeared lukewarm. He missed a lavish state dinner at Buckingham Palace for the president and earlier the same day, during a visit to the Royal Picture Gallery, witnesses said he noticeably hung back from standing – and being photographed – with Trump, chatting instead with his daughter Ivanka.

At the time, Mr Trump brushed aside their differences – although he made clear he knew all too well that the duchess had attacked him. ‘She was nasty to me,’ he said in an interview, ‘and that’s OK for her to be nasty, it’s not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn’t.

‘She’s doing a good job, I hope she enjoys her life… I think she’s very nice.’ It was a generous, high-minded response which anyone who knew anything about Mr Trump didn’t believe for a second was sincere.

He’s made no secret of where his sympathies lie when it comes to Megxit. In an interview in January, he said the Queen had been ‘hurt’ by the couple’s sudden announcement, adding: ‘I don’t think this should be happening to her.’

Prince Harry, disciplined by years of royal caution about political views, has let slip little about what he thinks of Mr Trump.

Unfortunately for him – very unfortunately given he was shortly to move to the US – he let down his guard during a prank call from Russian hoaxers posing as the teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg and her father.

He laid into the president’s environmental policy: ‘The mere fact that Donald Trump is pushing the coal industry is so big in America, he has blood on his hands.’

Mr Trump now has their future in his hands. Not paying for the couple’s protection could only be the start of his payback.

Under US law, as the spouse of an American citizen, Harry does not have automatic right to citizenship. He is probably not eligible to apply for an A1 visa, the preserve of diplomats and government officials.

He would have to go through the tedious process of securing a Green Card – that gives the right to live permanently and work in the US.

To do so, he would have to persuade officials (who under the Trump administration have tightened the process considerably) that he is a successful businessman with talents of use to the US, or else an ‘alien of extraordinary ability’. The process usually requires gushingly supportive letters from prominent people.

However, the decision as to who gets a Green Card remains notoriously arbitrary.

Taxation may be another area where US federal officials could – if they chose – put the couple through the wringer as they work towards being ‘financially independent’.

Although it has been reported that the couple moved to LA in part to avoid Meghan having to pay taxes in both the US and Canada, it will still be complicated.

Wherever they live, US citizens face being taxed on their worldwide income by the country’s Internal Revenue Service. If Prince Harry also takes citizenship, the US taxman will be able to scrutinise every aspect of their financial affairs in the UK, including any contributions they received from Prince Charles and other royal relatives.

The president may yet give the Sussexes plenty more to complain about.