William, Prince of Wales

William of Wales is one of the most famous members of the British royal family. He is also number one in line to the throne. The representative of the Windsor dynasty is actively involved in public activities and is happily married to Kate Middleton.

William's biography

Let's take a closer look at his biography, past and future. There are many fun facts about Prince William that are interesting for people who are interested in the lives of royal families.

Birth and childhood of the prince

William is the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales (who later became King Charles III) and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He was born at 9:03 p.m. British time on 21 June 1982 at St Mary's Hospital during the reign of his paternal grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

A week later, Buckingham Palace announced the name of the heir, which was William Arthur Philip Louis. The christening took place on 4 August in the Music Room of the palace. The ceremony was conducted by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. On the same day, William's paternal great-grandmother celebrated her 82nd birthday.

William of Wales education

As is customary in the British royal family, Prince William received an excellent education. First, he attended Jane Mynors Nursery and Wetherby Preparatory School.

His mother Diana Spencer insisted that the children be raised as ordinary Britons, rather than in the traditional isolated style of heirs to the throne. William remembers his school years as the happiest of his life. It helped him to socialise, to learn how to interact with people and, later, to win the love of the British people.

During his school years, the boy shared a room with four other classmates and studied history, mathematics and other important subjects. Around the same time, he developed an interest in sports:

• football;
• hockey;
• swimming;
• basketball;
• marathon running.

William performed well in all these disciplines during his youth, including athletics.

In 1995, he graduated from secondary school and went on to attend the prestigious Eton College. There, he had the opportunity to study art history, geography and biology. He received an A for his geography diploma and Bs for art history and biology.

The Duke of Cambridge excelled in his subjects, proving himself to be a diligent and well-mannered student, modest and tactful. From an early age, the young man was sociable and made friends easily. After entering Eton, he lived in a separate room, but this was not because of arrogance, but for security reasons.

During his university years, he was captain of the swimming and football teams. Another hobby of his was water polo.

In 1996, the prince's parents announced their divorce, which hit him hard. But the worst shock awaited him the following year, when his mother, whom he had always supported, died in an accident.

After graduating, William decided to take a year off from his studies to focus on matters relating to the royal family. Even as a young man, he wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps by spending this time travelling. The Duke of Cambridge visited various third world countries, where he organised large charity events, just as Princess Diana had once done. During this time, William gathered his thoughts and decided on a course of further study.

The royal heir enrolled at the University of St Andrews, a prestigious educational institution in Scotland. Remarkably, he submitted his admission documents in accordance with the general programme. William soon became a student at the Faculty of Art History. It cannot be said that he particularly enjoyed studying at university. He even considered leaving school, and after his third year, he decided to change his specialisation. This time, he chose a subject related to geography, became interested in it, and successfully graduated from university.

In mid-2006, he entered the Royal Military Academy. William followed in the footsteps of his male ancestors. He served in an English regiment of the Royal Horse Guards. Three years later, he graduated from Sandhurst, after which he began training at the FAC flight school and attained the rank of captain.

Prince William and Kate Middleton

William and Kate are not just members of the royal family, but a beautiful couple whose relationship is watched by the whole world. The prince chose a worthy life partner. It is worth dwelling on the details of how they met and their wedding ceremony.

Wedding in 2011 – an international event

The heir to the British royal family married Catherine Middleton in 2011, which was an international event. The ceremony was broadcast in several countries around the world and watched by millions of people on television. The Duke of Cambridge met his future wife in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews. Initially, the couple's relationship was quite complicated due to intense media attention. Journalists frequently attacked Kate during those years. The lovers could not withstand the pressure and broke up in 2007. According to British journalists, the reason for this was the prince's relationship with an ex-girlfriend, Jessica Craig, who reappeared in his life.

After a three-year break, William and Kate realised they couldn't live without each other. The news of their relationship's revival spread around the world, and even more than that, the press announced the couple's engagement.

Before Kate, William also met the beautiful Isabella Carthrop, but she was not attracted by the prospect of life in the royal palace and the associated duties, so she traded the prince for the heir to a multi-billionaire.

William and Kate managed to overcome all difficulties, and their wedding took place on 29 April 2011 at St. Peter's Church in London. Thousands of people arrived in the English capital for the occasion to attend the ceremony. The wedding of the heir to the British throne became the most talked-about news on the European continent. Approximately $175 million from the municipal budget was spent on the event.

William and Kate were pronounced man and wife by the archbishop, after which they were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by Queen Elizabeth II. Their official residence was Kensington Palace, which the newlyweds inherited from Diana Spencer.

Children of Prince William

Two years after the wedding ceremony, Kate gave birth to her husband's first son. This important event for the royal family took place on 22 June 2013. The boy was named George. He has every chance of ascending to the British throne one day. Together with William, he is one of the most popular and talked-about people in the world.

In 2014, it was announced that Kate was expecting another baby. The Duchess gave birth to a daughter on 2 May 2015. The girl was named Charlotte. Photos of William and Kate with their children often appear on the covers of well-known British magazines, as well as in foreign publications. Before the Duchess's illness (she was diagnosed with cancer, which she is now fighting and, according to the media, is recovering from), the couple enjoyed sharing moments from their private life on Instagram.

In 2017, the world announced that Kate was expecting her husband's third heir. As with her previous pregnancies, this one was difficult, with the Duchess suffering from severe morning sickness, which even led to her being hospitalised. Due to her poor health, Kate had to cancel all her upcoming engagements and meetings, but the British people were understanding.

The third child of Prince William and his wife was born on 3 April 2018. He was born at St Mary's Hospital. British media reported that an entire wing had been cleared for the arrival of the prince's spouse. The boy was named Louis Arthur Charles and also given the title ‘His Royal Highness Louis of Cambridge’.

All of William's children have the potential to one day ascend to the British throne, but the younger ones naturally have fewer chances than the older ones.

William is heir to the throne

William himself may ascend to the throne of his country in the very near future. He was given the title Duke of Cambridge in April 2011. And the Duke of Cornwall and the Duke of Rothesay became his own father's titles after he officially became king on 8 September 2022. The day after that, William received the title Prince of Wales.

William is currently involved in community work as part of his public duties. He became involved in this work at a young age. The Duke of Cambridge represented his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at ceremonial events in New Zealand. These were held to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In addition, the prince helped manage an estate and worked in various financial organisations.

He was also awarded the honorary title of barrister. The Duke is the sixth member of the royal family since the nineteenth century to achieve this distinction. Although William had little interest in the legal profession, he decided to devote himself to the life-saving work of England.

The prince's preparation for his future reign began early. At the age of 21, he already held the status of state councillor. And his first solo public appearances took place in New Zealand.

The prince successfully combines his public service with charitable activities and oversees various projects.

His relationship with Prince Harry is complex. After the death of their mother, the brothers became very close, but then everything changed drastically. And it's not just about the line to the throne. The cool relations between the brothers were largely caused by Meghan Markle. William advised Harry not to make any rash decisions regarding his personal life, and he reacted negatively. The youngest son of Diana Spencer fell in love with a radiant brunette and decided to marry her at any cost. He protected his chosen one in every possible way and always took her side, which led to problems in his relationships with members of the royal family.

Meghan Markle failed to find common ground with Kate Middleton. It turned out that they had nothing in common. This caused additional problems in the relationship between William and Harry. But different outlooks on life do not detract from the fact that they are brothers.

Social activities

Due to his status, William performs official duties and responsibilities on behalf of Charles III. He is patron of more than 30 charities and military institutions. Particularly noteworthy are:

1. Tusk Trust, Centerpoint.
2. The Passage.
3. Wales Air Ambulance.
4. Charity for the London Air Ambulance.

The heir to the British throne carries out projects through the Royal Foundation. His charitable work focuses on mental health, the environment, helping the homeless and emergency services. In 2020, William established the Earthshot Prize, which focuses on environmental issues. This initiative is worth £50 million.

Facebook

YouTube

Instagram