Britain's Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton will not be present when he receives his Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot wings on Friday (11.04.08).
Kate, who started dating the prince in late 2003, will stay away from William's graduation ceremony at RAF Cranwell, in Lincolnshire, as part of a concerted effort to keep her out of the limelight for as long as possible.
A source told Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper: "Kate and William are very happy together and this is a mutual decision. She doesn't want the attention on her and neither does William."
Their decision is believed to have been influenced by the reaction to Kate's presence at William's passing-out parade at Sandhurst Military Academy in 2006.
The source said: "The ceremony turned out to be the Middleton parade in the end. There was far too much attention on Kate and her family. It annoyed William and he doesn't want a repeat performance.
"He has told Kate she needs to keep a lower profile and she is happy to.
"They have talked about getting engaged. We all know it's on the cards. But they know once it's announced it will be open season on Kate.
"They still see each other all the time, they just do so privately."
William, a Cornet in the British Army's Household Cavalry, has spent the past four months learning to fly solo and perform basic air acrobatics.
On Thursday evening (10.04.08), he will join senior members of the RAF for a special dinner organised by his father Prince Charles to celebrate him and 20 other personnel receiving their wings.
William is currently completing his final placement at RAF Shawbury, in Shropshire, where he is learning to fly a Squirrel helicopter.
Prince William
Kate Middleton
