A new member of staff has joined Prince William’s team at Kensington Palace, it has been revealed, with the candidate sharing a key link to his new royal employer—a passion for aviation.
Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported that Squadron Leader Mike Reynolds has joined the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales as William’s new equerry this month. Reynolds will fulfil this temporary position while on secondment from his role in the Royal Air Force (RAF).
An equerry is a historic position, with holders acting as a formal assistant to a senior member of the royal family, accompanying them on engagements and meeting with officials and event organizers.
Prince William attending the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, on September 12, 2024. The prince served as a helicopter pilot in both the RAF and the Air Ambulance service.
Prince William attending the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, on September 12, 2024. The prince served as a helicopter pilot in both the RAF and the Air Ambulance service.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Equerries are typically serving members of the British Armed Forces and are seconded from their roles to take up the royal appointment for a period of four years. The position has taken on increased public interest since the accession of King Charles III, as the equerries of both the monarch and new Prince of Wales became a more visible presence at national events.
The posts are paid for out of the Ministry of Defense budget and in 2024 the monarchy faced backlash when it was revealed that in the previous year £500,000 ($665,000) of public funds was spent on supplying the royal household with equerries.
Charles’ equerry at the time of his accession, Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, became a viral sensation being celebrated for his looks with the nickname of “the hot equerry.”
Reynolds is replacing William’s previous equerry, Lieutenant Commander Rob Dixon, who has been present at high profile royal engagements such as the coronation celebrations. Dixon is returning to his role within the Royal Navy.
Reynolds is a helicopter pilot, a key link he shares with his new royal boss.
William trained as a helicopter pilot with the RAF in 2008 and a year later undertook specialist training as a search and rescue pilot.
After leaving the RAF, the prince joined the East Anglian Air Ambulance in 2015 and flew regular call outs as part of a first response team, transporting critically injured members of the public to specialist hospitals.
Though the prince relinquished his position with the team in 2017 to take up royal duties on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II full-time, he has maintained strong links with the Air Ambulance Service and the RAF.
In February 2024, William was guest of honor at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala Dinner where he appeared to raise money for two new helicopters for the service.
After his accession, King Charles appointed his son the position of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, the aviation division of the British Army. The monarch formally handed over the position to William at a rare joint engagement in May, during which he said his son was a “very good pilot indeed.”
Prince William in front of an Apache helicopter, which he flew during a visit to the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, England, on May 13, 2024. The prince was made Colonel-in-Chief of the Army…
Prince William in front of an Apache helicopter, which he flew during a visit to the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, England, on May 13, 2024. The prince was made Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps by King Charles III.
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Recently, during a visit to the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters, the prince teased a potential “comeback” to his old career.
“I’d love to fly again,” he said, per the Daily Telegraph. “I could volunteer for a weekend to make a comeback.”
Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.
William has resumed his schedule of public engagements since taking a pause at the beginning of the year to support wife, Princess Kate, as she received treatment following a cancer diagnosis.
The princess issued a health update earlier this month, revealing that she had completed her course of “preventative chemotherapy” and was focused on staying “cancer free.”
Though Kate is not expected to make a full return to work in the coming months, the next major royal ceremonial events will take place in November to mark the annual remembrance commemorations. All senior royals are expected to take part, with Reynolds therefore likely to be in attendance on the Prince of Wales.
There have been several notable royal equerries over the years. One of the most well-known was at the center of a royal scandal in the 1990s when love letters written to a member of the royal family were stolen and given to a British tabloid.
The newspaper handed the letters to the police, with Buckingham Palace confirming that they had been written by Queen Elizabeth II’s equerry, Timothy Laurence, to her daughter, Princess Anne.
Anne and Laurence married in 1992 and he has accompanied his wife on several high profile engagements and tours over the years. The couple will celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary in December this year.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek’s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.
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