Prince William and David Beckham Got Inside a Helicopter But Did Not Leave the Ground

In February, Prince William went back to work amid the heath struggles of King Charles III and Kate Middleton to help support a major fundraising drive for London Air Ambulance, a charity close to the prince’s heart. On Tuesday, he met with David Beckham at Royal Air Force Northolt, an airbase in suburban London, to celebrate the charity’s successful push to raise 15 million British pounds for two new H135 helicopters.

During the visit, the pair got the opportunity to climb aboard one of the two new aircrafts. Though William is a talented pilot—a skill he is helping to transmit to the next generation—the pair stayed on the ground. They also picked up permanent markers to sign a door on one of the new helicopters.  According to People, William’s message read “Back in the middle,” and Beckham wrote, “Thank you. Fly Safe Love David Beckham.” 

Beckham told reporters that he was proud to support a charity that has made such a difference in the neighborhood where he grew up. “Being here today is to celebrate the success of the fundraiser and the incredible money that we generated, but also to celebrate what these guys do and to meet the medics,” he said. “As an East End boy, I’ve seen these in the air for many, many years and I know the work that they do—the incredible work that they do. It was just an honor to be invited by Prince William to be involved in this.”

The nation’s air ambulance networks have a special resonance for William, who flew rescue helicopters for the RAF from 2010 to 2013 and worked as a pilot for East Anglia Air Ambulance service from 2015 to 2017. Following his meeting with Beckham, he traveled to

On Monday, Prince Harry was also in London to attend the annual WellChild Awards, though he was unlikely to see William during his trip to the UK. The long-feuding brothers were last spotted in the same room at an August funeral for their uncle Lord Robert Fellowes, though they reportedly kept their distance during the service.

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