Prince William Imagines Life Outside the Crown: From Police Officer to DJ

On a recent episode of The Graham Norton Show, Prince William let his guard down and talked about two very different career paths he entertained before duty called. The conversation, sparked by his promotion of the Earthshot Prize, quickly turned from lofty environmental goals to everyday “what‑ifs.”

“When I was a kid I thought I could be a police officer,” William said, smiling. He added that the idea seemed “quite cool” because it would let him serve people in a hands‑on way. The notion of a royal in a uniform patrolling streets was, of course, a novelty – and the audience chuckled at the mental picture.

He went on to admit that, not long after, he fell into a teenage phase of wanting to be a DJ. “I even gave myself a name – DJ Xara with an X – but it didn’t go very well,” he confessed, prompting laughter from both studio and home viewers. When Norton asked if he ever spun records at school parties, William shrugged, “I never got that good,” a playful grin on his face.

Of course, the Prince of Wales hasn’t had a free pass to pick a profession. He spent nearly eight years in the British armed forces, first at Sandhurst and later flying helicopters for the Royal Air Force. After his military stint, he trained as an air‑ambulance pilot with St Andrew’s, logging countless hours over the English countryside.

That period left a lasting impression. In a heartfelt 2017 letter to the East Anglian Air Ambulance crew, William wrote about the emotional roller‑coaster of visiting patients’ homes, sharing moments of both relief and deep grief. The experience, he said, taught him “the weight of giving someone a fighting chance.”

The conversation inevitably drifted to his younger brother, Prince Harry, whose own off‑royal ambitions were laid bare in his 2023 memoir, Spare. Harry recalled dreaming of working at a ski resort fondue hut in Lech am Arlberg, or even becoming a safari guide – ideas his father dismissed until the military became a viable option. Harry ultimately served ten years, including two tours in Afghanistan.

While William’s “what‑if” scenarios are entertaining, they also highlight a common thread: a genuine desire to serve, whether through law enforcement, music, or emergency medicine. As he continues championing climate action with the Earthshot Prize, perhaps those early daydreams still echo in his approach to leadership.