Prince William Gives Heartfelt Speech About London’s Air Ambulance: It’s A ‘Crucial Life Line’

Prince William got gussied up on Thursday night and reflected on working with London’s “world-class” Air Ambulance.

The Duke of Cambridge, who looked dapper in a tux, stepped out for an all-star gala dinner celebrating the 30th-anniversary fundraising campaign for London’s Air Ambulance Charity. William greeted paramedic, ambulance doctors, and pilots who attended the black-tie dinner in their orange uniforms. The Duke appeared to be in good spirits, sharing laughs and smiles with his fellow air team.

Jonathan Jenkins, chief executive of London’s Air Ambulance, commended Prince William as “one of our own” and thanked donors at the fundraising dinner.

The royal gave a speech praising the rescue workers and recounted some of his own experiences working as an air ambulance pilot. “Having served as an air ambulance pilot myself, I am in no doubt about the crucial life-line that air ambulances provide all over the UK,” William said.

“Having served as an air ambulance pilot myself, I am in no doubt about the crucial life-line that air ambulances provide all over the UK,” he continued. “London has some of the most difficult airspace in the world in which to offer an air ambulance service.”

The Duke added, “I landed on the London Air Ambulance helipad on multiple occasions during my job. I can tell you that it is an essential part of the medical chain in London, and speeds up the process of patients getting to care.”

And the royal ribbed the emergency workers, joking, “And I know first-hand that the trauma teams working with London’s Air Ambulance are world-class. Even if their banter isn’t quite up to the pilots’ level.”

WATCH MORE: Prince William Admits That Rescuing Children Nearly Took Him ‘Over The Edge’

Prince William closed his speech: “When I became Patron for the anniversary in January, one of the targets was to raise at least £1 million to redevelop the crew’s helipad base. I’m very proud that, nine months later, this target has now been met. Once complete, these new facilities at the helipad will allow medics to respond even faster to emergencies and ensure crews have the mental health and wellbeing support that they need.”

“This is an impressive achievement, but only one part of this year’s campaign. Your continued support will enable the charity to do even more in the future to deliver first-class care when Londoners need it most. I wish you all the very best as you build on this year’s successes and continue providing crucial lifesaving support to Londoners for many years to come.”