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Prince William to leave military, Kate dazzles at charity event

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Prince William is bidding adieu to the Royal Air Force and active military duty.

The Duke of Cambridge, 31, second in line to the British throne and father of Prince George, will conclude active duty to focus on his royal responsibilities instead.

What royal responsibilities, you say? Mostly those that involve public service, giving speeches, promoting worthy causes, being a national icon, preparing to be king and all things aristocratic that don’t always make as much sense to residents of a country with a history of anti-royalist dissent, according to World Now.

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The announcement comes after 7½ years of military service, which included his post as a search-and-rescue pilot. It also comes two months after he and wife Catherine, the former Kate Middleton, welcomed their heir and now the third (and most adorable) person in line for the throne.

William, who has been based on the Welsh island of Anglesey, joined the military in 2006 and became Flight Lt. William Wales while he worked to rescue nearly 150 people.

Kensington Palace officials said Thursday that the duke would be focusing more on his charities and environmental conservation and “is currently considering a number of options for public service.” The family is also expected to move from Catherine’s parents home in the countryside to London’s Kensington Palace in the next few weeks.

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World Now reports that the next year will be a transition period for William as he decides what service he’ll focus on until he is eventually coronated. His father, Prince Charles, for example, has focused on global sustainability in recent years through sustainable communities.

Just after the announcement, the proud parents stepped out Thursday for the Tusk Conservation Awards, where Catherine dazzled in a Jenny Packham full-length sequin gown, according to People. And based on the current state of her slim figure, we never would have known the duchess had a baby a few months ago if it hadn’t been splashed all over international outlets for months.

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The couple recently said that they have a nanny looking after their son. Her name is Jessie Webb and she’s 71; she’s also the same nanny who looked after William and his younger brother Harry while they were growing up.

“As you might have gathered, Catherine and I have recently become proud parents -- of a baby who has a voice to match any lion’s roar!” William said. “This is actually our first evening out without him, so please excuse us if you see us nervously casting cheeky glances at our mobile phones to check all is well back home.”

The event is associated with the African charity William has been a patron for since 2005 and the organization works to conserve the continent’s wildlife.

“Like any new parents, our thoughts inevitably turn to the world that our child will inherit,” he said in his speech. “It is unfathomable to imagine a world in which children who have been born in the past couple of months may grow up in a world in which rhinoceros have ceased to live in the wild.”

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