‘I know Prince William – here’s why he’s one of best to deal with people like Trump’

Prince William has just returned from a significant trip to Estonia, where he spent time with British troops on NATO’s front line against Russia, and royal expert Jennie Bond has revealed why he is so adept at handling delicate situations.

Since becoming Prince of Wales, Prince William has seemed keen to carve out a role as a global statesman. And his trip to the Russia border to visit troops providing a deterrent to Russian aggression has been one of many sensitive overseas visits.

Not only did the heir to the throne ride in a tank close to the border and take part in a training exercise with British and Estonia forces, but he also held talks with the Baltic state’s president Alar Karis to bolster the UK’s ties with the nation. During the meeting, William heard the leader’s plea for some UK troops to remain in the Baltic state after the statesman suggested they may be redeployed as peacekeepers in Ukraine.

And for royal expert Jennie Bond, William’s emerging role is no coincidence, especially given his family’s experience. The former BBC royal correspondent, who has previously met the prince, told the Mirror: “William has had a solid grounding in diplomacy having watched both his grandmother and his father tread some delicate paths on the world scene. He has already shown himself well able to handle sensitive situations: he visited the West Bank seven years ago where he expressed his hopes for a lasting peace in the region.

The Prince traveled to Paris last December for a different challenging mission: to meet the incoming President Trump. Trump appeared to be in love with William and called him a “good looking guy.” Thus, this visit to Estonia was yet another example of how the monarchy’s soft power is growing more important in these troubled times.

Of course, William is a former army officer who trained at Sandhurst military academy and joined the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals before training as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot. However, it is his estranged younger brother Prince Harry, who also served in the Army, who completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Now he and wife Meghan have quit the UK, they no longer carry out these sorts of royal duties.

And Jennie rightly noted that, if Harry had been still a working royal, he would have been sent on such trips, even though world leaders would not understand how important it would be for him to hold the position of seniority in his place.

“I believe Harry is now content with both his home and the way he leads. Therefore, I don’t believe he longs for any particular royal role. After promising British troops he would “keep everyone on their toes,” he rode in a Challenge 2 tank to defend Estonia from Russian aggression at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Estonia yesterday.

As the tank sped through muddy terrain in Estonia less than 100 miles from the Russian border, William wore a camouflage military uniform, goggles, and a helmet. He traveled to Estonia for two days to strengthen UK ties with its Nato ally and show support for British forces stationed there as part of its Nato contribution.

The Prince, who is currently the Mercian Regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief, transferred from The Royal Dragoon Guards to Tapa army base in northern Estonia. The 900 British service members in Estonia represent the UK’s largest permanent overseas deployment, with a battlegroup under UK command.

Russia is seen as a growing threat in the region following its three-year invasion of Ukraine, and the Baltic states – Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – which border Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s nation appear increasingly concerned. British forces are deployed to Estonia and Poland under Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Forward Land Forces in the two countries.

Source: Mirror