威廉王子成爲飛行員 米德爾頓現身畢業典禮

Prince William graduated as a Royal Air Force pilot Friday after successfully completing an intensive flying course.

The prince, 25, received his wings from his father Prince Charles in a graduation ceremony at the RAF Cranwell air base in Lincolnshire.

A smiling Charles spoke to his son as he stuck on the wings badge and shook hands with him afterwards.

William, second in line to the throne, temporarily left his army officer role for a specially slimmed-down four-month RAF course, aimed at preparing him for his future duties as head of the armed forces when he becomes king.

He learnt how to fly propeller-powered planes and helicopters and is the fourth generation of British royals to become an RAF pilot.

The prince's girlfriend Kate Middleton was among his guests. Charles's second wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Lady Sarah McCorquodale -- the sister of William's mother Diana, princess of Wales -- also attended.

Air Chief Marshal Glenn Torpy told the graduates: "This is probably one of the most significant milestones in an aviator's career. It's something that not many people can do and you should be very proud of what you have done."

Middleton's appearance at William's graduation ceremony at Sandhurst military academy in December 2006 helped build the expectation that the couple, who have dated since 2003, when they were both students at St. Andrews University in Scotland, were headed for marriage.

An April 2007 report that the pair had split up seemed to pour cold water on the fevered speculation.

Their appearance together prompted bookmakers William Hill to cut their odds on a 2008 engagement from 2-1 to evens.

在圓滿完成強化飛行訓練課程後，威廉王子終於於上週五畢業，正式成爲英國皇家空軍的一名飛行員。

畢業典禮在林肯郡英國皇家空軍克倫威爾空軍基地舉行，25歲的威廉王子接受了父親查爾斯王儲爲他頒發的飛行徽章。

查爾斯王儲笑着跟威廉講話，同時爲他別上徽章，之後又與他握手。

英國王位第二繼承人威廉王子於四個月前暫離陸軍軍官一職，接受專門爲其設計的英國皇家空軍短期飛行訓練，爲其將來成爲英國國王后擔任三軍統帥做準備。

經過四個月的飛行訓練，威廉王子學會駕駛螺旋槳式飛機和直升飛機。他是英國王室中成爲皇家空軍飛行員的第四代成員。

威廉王子的女友凱特•米德爾頓當天也出席了他的畢業典禮，同時出席的王室成員包括查爾斯王儲的第二任妻子、康沃爾公爵夫人卡米拉以及威廉王子的母親、威爾士王妃戴安娜的姐姐莎拉•麥克科考黛爾。

空軍上將格倫•託比在畢業典禮上致辭說：“這可能是飛行員職業生涯中最重要的里程碑之一。並不是很多人都能幹這行，你們應該爲自己取得的成績感到驕傲。”

威廉王子與米德爾頓於2003年開始正式交往，當時兩人還是蘇格蘭聖安德魯大學的學生。2006年12月，威廉王子從桑德赫斯特軍事學院畢業時，米德爾頓出現在他的畢業典禮上，這讓外界對於兩人即將結婚的猜測一時間迅速升溫。

而去年4月有關兩人分手的報道似乎給這不斷升級的猜測潑了瓢冷水。

而上週五他們共同露面後，威廉•希爾博彩公司則馬上將賭兩人今年訂婚的賠率從2比1減爲1比1。