Prince William to join Household Cavalry regiment

Sep 21, 2006, 16:38 GMT

UK Tax dollars hard at work, keeping royals in their fab lifestyle - Prince William and Kate Middleton on Boat in Ibiza Spain © Photorazzi

London - Prince William, the 24-year-old son of Britain's Prince Charles, is to join the Household Cavalry after completing his officer training at Sandhurst Academy, the royal palace in London said Thursday.

William, who as a possible future King will be head of the armed forces, will train to be a troop leader in an armoured reconnaissance unit after leaving Sandhurst in December.

His younger brother Harry (22), who is ahead of William in his military career because he did not attend university, is currently serving with the same tank unit at Bovington Camp in Dorset, south-west Britain.

Like Harry, William is to join the Blues and Royals, which together with the Life Guards form the Household Cavalry, the army's oldest guard regiment with close royal connections.

William opted for a military career after graduating with a degree in geography from St Andrew's University in Scotland in the summer of 2005.

After about a year in the army, Prince William will spend time with both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy on 'familiarization attachments,' Clarence House said.

The second-in-line to the throne would also start to get to grips with constitutional affairs in preparation for his future role.

'The Prince will also aim to address the wider issues of preparing himself for his future roles - learning more about constitutional matters, charitable work and the organization and estate management,' a spokeswoman for Clarence House said.