William back in UK after tour of duty in Falklands

THE Duke of Cambridge has returned from the Falkland Islands after spending more than six weeks flying RAF search and rescue missions.

William’s deployment to the remote South Atlantic outcrop in February fuelled growing tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Argentine president Cristina Kirchner have been trading barbs in the lead-up to the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falklands on 2 April, 1982.

Argentina has accused the UK of “militarising” the dispute by reportedly sending a submarine carrying nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic – something that Britain has neither confirmed nor denied.

Buenos Aires also objected to the Duke’s posting to the Falklands and the deployment to the region of one of the Royal Navy’s most modern destroyers, HMS Dauntless.

In turn, Britain has insisted its movements of troops and warships are purely routine, and claims Argentina is trying to impose an “economic blockade” on the Falklands by restricting shipping to and from the islands.

A St James’s Palace spokesman confirmed that William had flown back to the UK yesterday morning.

The spokesman said: “He will have a short period of leave like the rest of his crew, before returning to work at RAF Valley [in Anglesey, Wales].”

The 1982 war lasted 74 days and claimed the lives of 258 British soldiers and 649 Argentine troops.