Prince William to leave military, Kate dazzles at charity event

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The newborn Prince of Cambridge leaves St Mary’s Hospital with his parents the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. (John Stillwell / AFP/Getty Images)

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The newborn Prince of Cambridge leaves St Mary’s Hospital with his parents the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. (John Stillwell / AFP/Getty Images)

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Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, hold the Prince of Cambridge outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in London where the duchess gave birth Monday. The royal couple are expected to head to Kensington Palace with their son, the third in line to the British throne. (BEN STANSALL / AFP/Getty Images)

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Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, holds the Prince of Cambridge outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in London where she gave birth Monday. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, hold the Prince of Cambridge outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in London where the duchess gave birth Monday. (Lefteris Pitarakis / Associated Press)

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Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, hold the Prince of Cambridge outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in London where the duchess gave birth Monday. (Scott Heavey / Getty Images)

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Prince William and Kate show their newborn boy to the world’s media, leaving the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London. (Leon Neal / AFP/Getty Images)

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Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave St. Mary’s Hospital in London with their son, the Prince of Cambridge. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images)

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Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s new-born baby boy, the Prince of Cambridge, is introduced to the world’s media outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London on July 23, 2013. (Carl Court / AFP/Getty Images)

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The Prince of Cambridge is seated in his fride from St. Mary’s Hospital in London wherehewas born Monday. (Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images)

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Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave the hospital with their newborn son, the Prince of Cambridge. (Andrew Cowie / AFP/Getty Images)

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Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave the hospital with their newborn son, the Prince of Cambridge. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)

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Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, arrive at St. Mary’s Hospital in London to visit their new baby grandson. Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate on Tuesday thanked staff at the hospital where their baby son was born, as the world waited for a name and, hopefully, a glimpse of the future king. (Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images)

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Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall arrive at The Lindo Wing to visit The Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge and their newborn son at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)

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A police officer tries to control people trying to take pictures of a notice proclaiming the birth of a baby boy to Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace in London. (Sang Tan / Associated Press)

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People look through the railing of Buckingham Palace in London at a public notice proclaiming the birth of a baby boy to Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. (Sang Tan / Associated Press)

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Carole and Michael Middleton, right, parents of the new mother, arrive at at St. Mary’s Hospital to visit the royal couple and their grandson. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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The Changing of the Guard continues as scheduled outside Buckingham Palace. International messages of congratulations poured in for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge following the birth of the third in line to the throne. (Will Oliver / AFP/Getty Images)

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Well-wishers wave flags outside the hospital after the birth of the royal baby. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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The Tower Bridge serves as a backdrop as a 62-gun salute is unleashed from the Tower of London in honor of the arrival of the new prince -- 21 because it is a royal birth, 20 because the tower is a royal palace and 21 for the city of London, according to the BBC. (Justin Tallis / AFP/Getty Images)

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Royalist Terry Hutt reads a newspaper reporting of the birth of the newest member of Britain’s royal family outside St. Mary’s Hospital. (Justin Tallis / AFP / Getty Images)

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Self-proclaimed town crier Tony Appleton announces the birth of a baby boy to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, on Monday outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Catherine, 31, gave birth to their first child at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital. Meanwhile, hundreds of royal baby-watchers, journalists and photographers waited outside in anticipation of the royal birth. (Andy Rain / EPA)

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The head of news at the royal household, Ed Perkins, leaves the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital with the medical bulletin about the birth of the royal baby in west London. Prince William’s wife, Kate, gave birth Monday to a baby boy who is in line to inherit the British throne, Kensington Palace said in a statement. (Andrew Cowie / AFP/Getty Images)

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Members of the world’s media gather outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London as the Duchess of Cambridge goes into labor. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)

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A pregnant Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge meets children during an April visit to Naomi House hospice in Sutton Scotney, Winchester. (David Parker / AFP/Getty Images)

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A bookmaker’s board shows the odds for royal baby gender and names outside St. Mary’s hospital in London. (Rick Findler / EPA)

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Crowds of tourists gather on the steps of the Queen Victoria Memorial Statue outside Buckingham Palace in central London. (Justin Tallis / AFP/Getty Images)

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Members of the public gather outside St. Mary’s Hospital as the Duchess of Cambridge goes into labor. (Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images)

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The media set up outside the hospital anticipating the birth. (Chris Jackson / Getty Images)

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Terry Hutt shows his British pride outside the hospital. (Andrew Cowie / AFP/Getty Images)

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Reporters and photographers gather outside St. Mary’s Hospital. (Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images)

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A sea of cameras is aimed at the hospital. (Lefteris Pitarakis / Associated Press)

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Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, attending the National Review of Queen’s Scouts at Windsor Castle in April. (Olivia Harris / AFP/Getty Images)

By Nardine Saad

Sept. 12, 2013 4:25 PM PT

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.

PHOTOS: Kate Middleton through the years

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.

FULL COVERAGE: Royal baby born

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.

PHOTOS: The royals visit the ‘Harry Potter’ set

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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