Prince William writes heartfelt open letter following 'immeasurably difficult challenge'

Prince William has written an open letter to the Air Ambulance community to thank them for their hard work.

• Prince William has written to the air ambulance community for their 'tireless dedication' to saving lives during the ongoing pandemic.
• The Duke himself was a member of the Air Ambulance between 2015 - 2017, working for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
• This follows royal news that reveals the lovely way Kate Middleton’s parenting is inspired by Princess Diana.

Prince William's heartfelt letter was shared to Twitter this week, via the official Air Ambulance UK Twitter account.

His letter coincided with Air Ambulance Week, and the Duke wanted to thank the teams across the country for their hard work, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

In their tweet, they wrote, 'We're delighted to mark the start of Air Ambulance Week 2020 with an open letter written by HRH The Duke of Cambridge to the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities thanking all who work, volunteer & support them in their tireless efforts in helping to save lives every day across the UK'

The tweet was accompanied by Prince William's letter, bearing the official Kensington Palace letterhead.

In it, he expressed how delighted he was to support the Air Ambulance communities across the country, and how important it was to support one another.

Read more: Why this week marks a big milestone for Prince George and Princess Charlotte

His letter reads, 'Having seen first-hand the incredible work of air ambulance teams both on the front line and behind the scenes, I hold a profound respect for all that you do.

'Whether you are part of the critical care team bringing vital medical support to patients when every second counts; an engineer who ensures that crews can be safely deployed at a moment’s notice; or a volunteer working to keep the service running, the country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude.'

It adds, 'The outbreak of Covid-19 has presented an immeasurably difficult challenge to all emergency responders. You have had to adapt to new ways of working throughout the pandemic - while continuing to provide a crucial lifeline to those who need it most.

'However, I know from experience that a wonderful spirit runs through the air ambulance community and I encourage everyone to continue to take time to support one another through these difficult times.'

The Duke signed his letter off by recognising the 'unsettling period' everyone had faced as a result of the virus.

'This will have been an unsettling period for you all as fundraising activities have been curtailed. I am enormously grateful to all those who support the work of air ambulance services across the country – even through the most challenging of times.'

'This Air Ambulance Week, more than ever, I am delighted to see a spotlight shone on the work of this community and all those who support you. Your tireless dedication to saving lives and helping those in times of greatest need is a source of huge pride for our country.'