The Duke of Cambridge donned his own Royal Air Force (RAF) uniform to record the video message at Kensington Palace.
The 38-year-old former RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot reflected on the special bond between the UK and Australia and spoke about working alongside RAAF members.
“During my own service I had the pleasure of meeting many serving Australians and have seen first-hand the special bond shared between our two services,” Prince William said.
“More recently, Catherine and I have been welcomed at a number of Royal Australian Air Force bases and have enjoyed hearing stories from serving personnel.”
Paying tribute to the efforts made by the RAAF in the face of natural disasters and pandemics, the Duke of Cambridge said: “The 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force gives us an opportunity to reflect on the service, courage and sacrifice made by generations of Air Force men and women in Australia and around the world.
“In conflict and in peace, the Royal Australian Air Force has developed an outstanding reputation for resilience, innovation and dedication to duty.
“Over the last 12 months, Australia has faced the challenges of terrible bushfires and a global pandemic. The Royal Australian Air Force has once again shown its ability to respond quickly to supporting Australians in need.”
Looking ahead to the next 100 years, the Duke mused that circumstances will no doubt be different but the spirit of service will remain the same.
“While your second century will be very different to the first, I am sure that future generations of servicemen and women will carry forward the proud legacy established by hard working and courageous Australians during the first 100 years of The Royal Australian Air Force.”
The video message comes after the Queen marked the RAAF centenary at her first in-person engagement of 2021.
Her Majesty attended a service at CWGC Air Forces Memorial in Runnymede, England yesterday and inspected panels with the names of the Australian war dead.
The monarch also enjoyed some lighter moments when speaking with serving personnel, joking about “being sent off to chase the Russians”.
The Queen donned some green and gold in her outfit, accessorising with her white and yellow diamond Australian wattle brooch, which is made in the form of a sprig of golden wattle and a spray of Australian tea tree blossom.
It was made by Melbourne company William Drummond & Co in 1954 and presented to the Queen on her first visit to Australia that year, marking the first visit of a reigning monarch to Australian shores.