The Duke of Cambridge has concluded a three-week attachment with the UK’s intelligence agencies, MI5, MI6, and GCHQ in what the royal described as a “humbling experience.”
Kensington Palace said the visit “comes as the three security services continue their vital work both at home and abroad to keep our people and our allies’ safe.”
His first week was spent with the MI6 where he learned more about their secret overseas work, development of foreign contacts, and the gathering of information aiming to keep the UK safe and secure.
The second week was with the MI5 Security Service to gain information about how they work to protect the national security of the UK and prevent terrorism
Prince William’s last week saw him spend time with the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham. There, “he spent time with those using cutting-edge technology, technical ingenuity and wide-ranging partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats,” according to Kensington Palace.
The GCHQ Head of Counter-Terrorism Operations, David, remarked, “Having The Duke of Cambridge spend time with our teams was an incredible opportunity. William worked exceptionally hard to embed himself in the team and comfortably held his own amongst some highly skilled analysts and operators.
“His Royal Highness asked some probing questions and demonstrated a real grasp of our mission. This was a rare opportunity to expose, in detail, the technical ingenuity and problem-solving skills needed on a daily basis to help keep the UK safe.”
Regarding the intelligence services, the Duke said after his training, “Spending time inside our security and intelligence agencies, understanding more about the vital contribution they make to our national security, was a truly humbling experience.
“These agencies are full of people from everyday backgrounds doing the most extraordinary work to keep us safe.
“They work in secret, often not even able to tell their family and friends about the work they do or the stresses they face.
“They are driven by an unrivalled patriotism and dedication to upholding the values of this country. We all owe them deep gratitude for the difficult and dangerous work they do.”
