Prince William paid a nostalgic visit to the Royal Air Force (RAF) College in Cranwell, England on Thursday, September 12, returning to the place where he earned his wings in 2008.

The Prince, who attended the Sovereign Parade on behalf of his father, King Charles, watched as RAF cadets and international cadets graduated at the RAF base.

Lady Sarah McCorquodale, sister of Princess Diana, who lives near Cranwell Air Force, also attended the parade.

Cranwell Air Force Base holds a special place in royal history as it was the site where a young Kate Middleton made her first public appearance after her breakup with her then-boyfriend.

Middleton attended Prince William's 2008 graduation ceremony with members of the royal family, smiling with her boyfriend as they stepped out in white coats and black tights.

Prince William followed in his father's footsteps by attending Air Force Base Cranwell, and the King received flight training at the Air Force base in the 1970s.

Royal fans posted their thoughts on William's latest appearance on X, with one fan writing, “Looks like the beard is here to stay. Maybe it's to show that he has moved past the ordeal of Princess Catherine's health problems and has entered a new phase of his life."[13

Another royal watcher shared a photo of the crown prince at Air Force Cranwell's graduation ceremony, along with a photo from Thursday's engagement, writing that “the gravity that comes naturally with age was certainly there.”

His appearance on Thursday followed a touching video that the crown prince and princess shared earlier this week to update the public on the crown prince's cancer battle.

In that moving video, the Crown Princess announced that she had completed her chemotherapy and was “looking forward to returning to work and a few more public appearances in the coming months.”

She added, however, that “the road to healing and full recovery is long.”