Gallery - Prince Edward visits Lincolnshire to review officer graduation parade at RAF Cranwell

He arrived yesterday morning (Thursday) at RAF College Cranwell to be the Reviewing Officer for the Sovereign’s Review of graduating officers.

On the College Parade Square, His Royal Highness was escorted by the Commandant of the Royal Air Force College, Air Commodore Andrew Dickens, to take the Royal Salute while two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby flew overhead, as well as a Spitfire.

The Sovereign’s Review comprised 82 officer cadets from Modular Initial Officer Training Course Number 22 and Reserve Officers Course Number 70.

After reviewing the parade of graduating officers of The King’s Squadron, His Royal Highness presented annual prizes to top performing cadets who have completed training course in 2022 and The Jackie Moggridge Spitfire Award.

Air Commodore Dickens said: “I am delighted to watch Modularised Initial Officer Training Course 22 and Reserve Officer Training Course 70 graduate today. The day has been extra special for the graduating officers, their families, and the Squadron staff with His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh in attendance. I wish the newly graduated officers all the very best in their future Royal Air Force careers.”

After the Parade concluded, His Royal Highness met with the graduating officers, families and friends in College Hall Officers’ Mess before planting a lime tree on Queen’s Avenue on the station in front of personnel and

children from Cranwell Primary School and RAFA Kidz nursery.

The Central Band of the Royal Air Force College provided musical accompaniment, under the direction of Squadron Leader Richard Murray, Director of Music.

On Prince Edward's 59th birthday in 2023, his brother Charles III granted him the title Duke of Edinburgh as a life peerage, a dukedom previously held by their father, who died in 2021, then briefly by Charles himself.