Prince William takes smart step as he moves closer to throne

The future monarch, Prince William, appeared to impress his beloved wife, Princess Kate, and his hardworking aunt Duchess Sophie as he took a smart step amid calls for taking the reins.

William was in good spirit as he shone a spotlight on unsung heroes, highlighting real pride of the society while spending time with courageous women serving in the Armed Forces.

Kate' husband made a visit to 1 Mercian Regiment as Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment at Bulford base, where he held discussions with female personnel about their experiences to defend the nation.

Kensington palce shared an update on William's surprise visit on the Prince and Princess of Wales' official Instagram account.

The palace revealed William observed training exercises before presenting Long Service and Good Conduct medals, recognising commitment and dedication across the regiment.

The heir to the British throne's move comes amid reports that Buckingham Palace has greenlighted him to prepare for his future royal role.

Duchess Sophie, Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte previously shined in military camouflage.

William and Kate, on Princess Charlotte's 10th birthday, released a new portrait on Instagram, showing her smiling outdoors in a camouflage jacket.

Royal Irish Regiment marked International Women’s Day with a powerful tribute on social media on Sunday, sharing a group photograph alongside the Duchess of Edinburgh, who dazzled in military camouflage.

Currently, women represent around 12 per cent of the UK Regular Forces, with military leaders aiming to boost this figure to 30 per cent by the end of the decade.

William's visit comes as the soldiers have completed their six-month stint on Operation Cabrit, which forms Britain's contribution to Nato's Forward Land Forces stationed in Estonia and Poland.

The royal watched soldiers carry out urban combat drills and was given the chance to operate a drone himself, seeing firsthand how the aircraft supports infantry sections during operations.

William also joined officers, soldiers and their families from B Company for a coffee morning held in the Officers' Mess, where they shared stories from their recent six-month deployment to Estonia.

The 43-year-old also heard directly from those who had served on the Nato mission and their loved ones who supported them from home.