Prince William likely to work in British Foreign Office

Prince William plans to work for a spell as a civil servant in the British Foreign Office, even as he searches for a long-term role.

Prince William, the first-born of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana and the second in line to the British throne, would take up a desk job in Whitehall to start with, after he leaves the armed forces in late 2009. The plan, being finalized by palace officials, comes after a period of uncertainty.

Earlier in 2007, Prince William had split with his girlfriend, Kate Middleton. He had suffered a snub at the hands of John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, when Howard declared that the Prince would not be welcome for the ceremonial post of Australia’s Governor-General and that the job should
be given to an Australian.

However, monarchists have pointed out that since Prince William is destined to become the head of state of the United Kingdom, it does not make sense to deny him the post of Governor-General of Australia, representing the monarch.

Prince William, like his father Prince Charles, faces the possibility of waiting for decades before becoming king and is reportedly feeling unsettled as contemporaries pursue careers.

Media reports quoted an insider in the place as saying that Prince William is eager to take a highly structured approach to his preparations for his future role as monarch and that the Foreign Office job will give him “a grounding in the workings of departments which will one day act in his name.”

Prince William, expected to complete another 18 months in the army, is serving as a troop leader in the Household Cavalry. At present, he is doing a tank commander’s course at Bovington in Dorset.

Sources close to him have said that, though William enjoys his time in the army, he has never considered serving the military as a long-term career unlike Prince Harry, his younger brother, who is committed to the army.

In 2009, Prince William will train with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, where he will learn to fly. After that, he will become a civilian.

There are signs that William is trying to patch up with Kate Middleton. On July 1, Kate was seen sitting in the royal box at the Concert for Diana at the Wembley Stadium in London. After the grand show, the two were photographed enjoying a cocktail together at a party.

Prince William gained an amount of financial independence on his 25th birthday in June 2007, when he became legally entitled to an income of at least £250,000 a year accrued on the money left to him in his mother’s will. Princess Diana had left £13 million after inheritance tax.

The Prince’s planned Foreign Office job could be followed by another civil service post in Whitehall, according to a royal source. If that happens, it would be the first time a future monarch has worked as a civil servant.

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