Kate flew into RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, where she was shown around one of the fighter aircraft on stand-by to respond to any threats to national airspace, before stepping into a state-of-the-art simulator. The princess arrived in a helicopter at the base for her first visit as its Royal Honorary Air Commodore, and was briefed about recent RAF operations, including supporting Nato in Poland. QRA provides a 24/7 interception response based at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Kate spent more than half an hour talking to the families about life on the base and chatting to the small children. When another young girl threw her arms around the princess, Kate told her: “I love hugs.”Asked about the royal turn in the simulator, station commander Group Captain Paul O’Grady said: “She did have a go.

Source: The Times October 02, 2025 15:01 UTC