By Danica Kirka
The Associated Press
LONDON — Prince William clocked in for his first shift as an air ambulance pilot on Monday, nervous but excited about his new job.
The second-in-line to Britain’s throne will face emergencies ranging from traffic accidents to heart attacks in his role working for East Anglian Air Ambulance in eastern England.
William will juggle his royal duties with nine-and-a-half hour shifts in the first few months — including night shifts — as part of a rotation where he will work four days and then have four days off. He’ll work less in the future to accommodate royal tasks.
“I feel doing a job like this really helps me to be grounded and that’s the core of what I’m trying to become,” he said. “I’m trying to be a good guy, to do what I can and trying to be a decent individual.”
William will also juggle both jobs with fatherhood. He took unpaid leave in April after he wrapped up his first phase of training, and has returned following the birth of Princess Charlotte, whom he described as “a little joy from heaven.”
“At the same time, there is a lot of responsibility, especially when George is around — he’s been a little monkey,” he said. “It’s no more difficult than what everyone else has to do.”
William and his crewmates began work right way, responding to a first emergency call at 9:20 a.m. The charity will release details of the incident later Monday.
The prince, who will donate his salary to charity, has previously been a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot based on an island off Wales.