Prince William to do SAS stint

Prince William is set to spend time with the SAS in the last of his military secondments, Clarence House said on Thursday.

The second-in-line to the throne will visit UK special forces - the army's Special Air Service and the navy's Special Boat Service - in a non-operational role in the autumn.

The prince will also spend time at the Ministry of Defence and the Army Air Corps, learning about helicopter capabilities and tactics.

The stint will mark the end of his year's familiarisation with the various forces, which started as an officer in the Household Cavalry Regiment.

He then had a four-month spell with the Royal Air Force, during which he was presented with his wings.

His time with the RAF was clouded when the Defence Ministry was forced to defend his actions after he was criticised for flying military Chinook helicopters to a bachelor party for his cousin and to his girlfriend Kate Middleton's family home.

Most recently, he spent two months with the Royal Navy, taking part in counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "As with the prince's previous attachments and visits, one of the aims is to highlight the important and often difficult work carried out by the men and women of the Armed Forces."