The Duke of Cambridge is to leave operational service in the Armed Forces. He will continue with his royal duties, including the conservation work through his foundation, the Clarence House said.
The Duke of Cambridge is to leave the Armed Forces to concentrate on royal duties and wildlife conservation work through his foundation. (Reuters) REUTERS

Prince William will soon leave operational service in the Armed Forces to focus on royal responsibilities.

The duke, who has been deployed in Anglesey as a rescue pilot with the RAF, will end his over seven years of military service at the end of September, Kensington Palace has announced in a statement.

The Duke of Cambridge, along with his wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, will continue to support the work of The Queen and the royal family through official engagements, both at home and overseas.

He will also work closely with his Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Through his foundation, Prince William will expand his work in the field of conservation, particularly in respect of protecting endangered species and habitats.

"The Duke will continue to work with his charities on issues relating to children and young people, veterans and serving members of the Armed Forces. The Duke is currently considering a number of options for public service, a further announcement on which will follow in due course," the official statement read.

Starting off with his conservation work, the Duke of Cambridge attended the inaugural Tusk Conservation Awards at the Royal Society on the night of 12 September. As Patron of the charity, Prince William, who was accompanied by Kate Middleton, presented two awards, which recognise outstanding achievement in the field of environment conservation across Africa. The event was also William and Kate's first official engagement, together, since the birth of their son, Prince George, in July.

Prince William has been based at RAF Valley since January 2010. As Flight Lieutenant Wales, he has served as a fully operational Search and Rescue pilot flying the Sea King helicopter.

In late August, Kate Middleton, along with the royal baby, moved into Anglesey to be with William during his last month of military service. The royal couple have always described the island in north Wales as their "first home together".

As William's tenure in the military ends, he is expected to move into his official residence at Kensington Palace along with Kate and George.

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