By Brian Nicholls

Last updated 11:45, Monday, 22 September 2008

So, Whirlybird Wills the flying Prince fancies piloting one of those big yellow Air-Sea Rescue helicopters which are such a common sight over Cumbria when they come to the aid of fallen fell walkers?

I thought he had joined the Army, but I suppose when all of the armed forces are going to belong to you someday you can do what you like.

Having said that, it does seem strange that an individual can apparently hop from one armed service to another more or less as the whim takes them.

Prince William went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst which, as any candidate for that establishment will tell you, has a selection procedure which is a cross between the Krypton Factor, Mastermind and various tests to get 10 men across (imaginary) crocodile-infested rivers using nothing more than 6ft of rope, an oil drum, two planks of wood and a stick of Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum (used).

Presumably young Wales competed with all other applicants and won his place because, no sooner had he qualified and put on his army uniform than he fancied a change, and goodness me if he didn’t go and pass the even-more stringent selection criteria to train as an RAF pilot.

Having won his wings, this multi-talented modern equivalent of Renaissance Man, nipped off to the Royal Navy to play with their boats in the Caribbean where he put an end to drugs trafficking and hurricanes.

What all this shows is that the poor lad has nothing to do for a few years but play at soldiers.

They won’t, for obvious reasons, put him directly in harm’s way, so what else can he do to avoid a long lifetime of hand-shaking, adjusting his cuffs and waving?

Prince William seems a genuine and decent guy. I sincerely hope he makes a great rescue helicopter pilot and finds fulfilment. It’s just a shame he was born to such an otherwise pointless life.