Prince William has been joined by David Beckham at RAF Northolt in west London to mark the launch of the capital’s two new air ambulances.
The brand-new helicopters were being launched by London’s Air Ambulance Charity on Tuesday, as it renewed its fleet after raising £16 million through a fundraising appeal that gained celebrity support.
The appearance by former England star Beckham came as a surprise addition to the scheduled visit by Prince William, a former air ambulance pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, and patron of London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
William was pictured shaking hands with Beckham, as they arrived at RAF Northolt on Tuesday morning.
Photos showed the pair chatting to air ambulance medics and posing for selfies with them. The prince was still sporting his new stubble, much like that long favoured by Beckham.
They were shown around the specialist helicopter by crew, and each signed the aircraft in black marker pen, as well as climbing inside the cockpit.
William joked with crew members ”don’t break it” as he was shown inside the aircraft.
It is understood just one of the helicopters was at the event, as bad weather meant one of them could not be delivered.
London’s Air Ambulance Charity funded the two new helicopters through its Up Against Time appeal which launched in 2021.
William personally approached Beckham to be the public face of the Omaze house draw which raised £4 million for the appeal, which had a target of target £15 million but passed it, collecting £16 million.
The sporting star said: "We're here today to celebrate ... the success of the fundraiser for London's air ambulances which is something close to my heart and has been for a number of years.
"I'm an East End boy so every time we saw them in the air it made us very proud.
"As soon as I was asked to be involved by Prince William it was something I was very honoured (to do) in all honesty."
He added: "It's something that's been a part of London for a long long time, over 35 years of incredible work that the pilots do and the medics do, the millions of lives they've saved over the years is something I was very proud to be invited to be part of."
In August, William hailed the announcement the money had been raised, posting on X, formally Twitter: ”Fantastic News! This is going to have a life-saving impact. A huge thank you to everyone who donated W.”
Hollywood star Tom Cruise and Arsenal football club manager Mikel Arteta were among the guests at a gala fundraising dinner in February for the charity’s appeal.
The prince attended the event and in a speech highlighted the urgency of the cause: “Here in London, the current aircraft have served magnificently. But our capital city needs a new fleet.
“And we are Up Against Time. The clue really is in the appeal’s name. By September, we need the two new red birds – decked with the latest kit such as night vision – in our skies.”
London’s Air Ambulance Charity was established in 1989 following a growing consensus of opinion that victims of serious accidents were dying because of the delay in expert medical help reaching them, and the time it took to transport patients to hospital.
The service pioneered the doctor-on-board model for air ambulances and aims to bring the hospital emergency department to the scene of an incident.
