Prince William reflected on his time at Sandhurst Military Academy as he returned on behalf of her majesty the Queen for the Sovereign Parade on Friday, Dec. 14.
The Duke of Cambridge inspected the parade and handed out awards including the Sword of Honor, the Queens Medal, and more to members of the academy, the Daily Mail reports.
The parade takes place at the end of each term, marking the “passing out” of officer cadets who have completed the Commissioning Course.
Dressed in full military uniform, the former graduate gave a speech mentioning his personal memories of the parade.
“It is almost 12 years ago to the day that I stood where you are,” he said.
“I remember the deep sense of pride that came from passing out of one of the finest military academies in the world as well as wanting a short speech delivered so I could march off the parade square that little bit quicker,” he joked.
Prince William spent over seven years in the military before he returned to his royal duties and charity work.
The Duke assured those commissioning that they will always look back fondly on the academy and cherish the friendships that were developed there.
“The friendships forged will last a lifetime and you will have been fortunate enough to have shared experiences with people from many different backgrounds, countries, cultures, and religions,” he said.
The Duke of Cambridge’s own “passing out” ceremony in 2006 had a very special guest — his future wife Kate Middleton. Kate sat next to Queen Elizabeth during the ceremony, which marked to royal fans that things were definitely getting serious between her and Wills.
Twelve years later, William has added three beautiful members to his and Kate’s family and he’s got an awesome Christmas card to show for it. We will chalk that up as a win.
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