Prince William says it was a "huge privilege" to work with the East Anglia Air Ambulance.

Prince William

Prince William

The 34-year-old royal will be stepping down from his role as a helicopter pilot for the Air Ambulance service when his current contract runs out in the summer, and has taken the time to praise his team of "professional, talented people" for their hard work.

Prince William said in a statement released by Kensington Palace: "It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglia Air Ambulance. Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in this job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my royal work for decades to come.

"I would like to thank the people of East Anglia for being so supportive of my role and for letting me get on with the job when they have seen me in the community or at our region's hospitals.

"I would especially like to thank all of my colleagues at EAAA, Babcock and Cambridge Airport for their friendship and support.

"I have loved being part of a team of professional, talented people that save lives every day. My admiration for our country's medical and emergency services community could not be any stronger."

Last week, it was reported that Prince William - who has Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, 20 months, with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - would be stepping down from his Air Ambulance role in order to become a full-time royal.

However, it has been suggested he won't use his free time to take on more royal duties than his father, 68-year-old Prince Charles, as he doesn't want to appear to be "elbowing his father out of the way".

A friend of Prince William said: "Some people may question why William still won't do as much as Princess Anne but he is dead set on not queering his father's pitch.

"He sees that Charles will probably be in his seventies before he becomes king and he doesn't want to be seen as elbowing his father out the way."