Prince William is the heir apparent to the British throne and one of the most popular members of the royal family.
He is also a devoted husband, father, philanthropist, and environmentalist. As the elder son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, he has been in the public eye since his birth in 1982.
He has faced many challenges and tragedies but has also experienced joy and success. He is admired for his sense of duty, compassion, and personality.
Table of Contents
Profile
- Full name: William Arthur Philip Louis
- Date of birth: June 21, 1982
- Age: 42 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: St Mary’s Hospital, London, England
- Nationality: British
- Profession: Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, Baron Carrickfergus, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Personal Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty The Queen, Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Coningsby, Commodore-in-Chief of Scotland and Submarines
- Height: 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
- Parents: King Charles III and Princess Diana
- Siblings: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
- Spouse: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Lady Carrickfergus (née Middleton)
- Children: Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $1.34 billion
Early Life and Education
Prince William, who is currently 42 years old, was born on June 21, 1982, in London, England.
He was the first child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, who were then the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, christened him on August 4, 1982, at Buckingham Palace. He has one younger brother, Prince Harry, born in 1984.
William spent his early years living in Kensington Palace and Highgrove House, his parents’ country residence.
When he was 10, his parents separated and divorced in 1996. William was deeply affected by the breakdown of their marriage and the media attention that followed.
He tried to protect his mother and brother from the paparazzi and the public scrutiny. He also had to cope with the death of his maternal grandfather, Earl Spencer, in 1992 and his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, in 2002.
1995 William enrolled at Eton College, an elite boarding school near Windsor Castle. He excelled academically and socially, earning good grades and making many friends.
He also participated in extracurricular activities, such as drama, music, and swimming. He became the captain of his house and the school’s soccer team. He graduated from Eton in 2000 with 12 GCSEs and three A-levels in biology, geography, and art history.
After finishing school, William took a gap year to travel and work in different countries. He visited Chile, where he participated in a volunteer program with Raleigh International, helping with environmental and community projects.
He also spent time in Belize, where he trained with the British Army, and in Africa, where he worked on a wildlife reserve and learned about conservation issues.
In 2001, William began his studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he chose to major in art history. He later switched to geography and graduated with a 2:1 honours degree in 2005.
At St Andrews, he met his future wife, Catherine Middleton, who was also a student there. They started dating in 2003 and became one of the most famous couples in the world.
Personal Life
After eight years of dating, Prince William and Catherine Middleton announced their engagement on November 16, 2010. William proposed to Catherine during a holiday in Kenya, using his mother’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
They married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, in a lavish ceremony watched by millions of people around the world.
They became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Strathearn, and the Baron and Lady Carrickfergus.
William and Catherine have three children: Prince George, born on July 22, 2013; Princess Charlotte, born on May 2, 2015; and Prince Louis, born on April 23, 2018. They live in Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, their country home in Norfolk.
They are very involved in raising their children and try to give them a normal and happy childhood. They also share their love of nature and animals with their kids, often taking them to parks, farms, and zoos.
William and Catherine are a very close and supportive couple who share many interests and values. They are passionate about charity work, especially mental health, conservation, homelessness, and emergency workers.
They have established the Royal Foundation, which supports various causes and initiatives they care about. They also travel extensively, both for official duties and for personal vacations. They have visited many countries, including Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan, and Ireland.
Career
Prince William has been preparing for his future role as king since childhood. He has received guidance and advice from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, his father, King Charles III, and other senior members of the royal family.
He has also learned from his own experiences and mistakes and has developed his vision and style of leadership.
William has served in the British Armed Forces, following a long tradition of royal military service. He trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment of the Household Cavalry.
He then transferred to the Royal Air Force, where he graduated as a pilot from the RAF College Cranwell.
He joined the RAF Search and Rescue Force, flying helicopters and rescuing distressed people. He completed his service in 2013 after more than seven years of active duty.
William has also worked as a civilian, pursuing his interest in aviation and public service. He became a patron of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which preserves and displays historic aircraft from World War II. He also became an honorary air commandant of RAF Coningsby, a fighter base in Lincolnshire.
In 2014, he enrolled in a bespoke course in agricultural management at the University of Cambridge to prepare for his role as the Duke of Cornwall, who owns and manages a large estate.
In 2015, he started working as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, a charity that provides emergency medical services.
He donated his salary to the charity and worked there until 2017 when he decided to focus on his royal duties full-time.
William performs official duties and engagements on behalf of the monarch, both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
He represents the Queen at state and ceremonial occasions, such as Trooping the Colour, Remembrance Day, and Commonwealth Day. He also visits various regions and communities, meeting with people from different backgrounds and walks of life.
He supports the work of the government and the armed forces, as well as the British industry and trade.
He also promotes the interests and values of the United Kingdom on the international stage, strengthening the ties with other countries and organizations.
William patronizes over 30 charitable and military organizations, such as the Tusk Trust, Centrepoint, The Passage, Wales Air Ambulance, and London’s Air Ambulance Charity.
He undertakes projects through the Royal Foundation, which he founded with his brother, Prince Harry, and later joined by his wife, Catherine, and his sister-in-law, Meghan.
His charity revolves around mental health, conservation, homelessness, and emergency workers. He is also passionate about sports, especially soccer, rugby, and polo, and supports various sports associations and events.
In 2020, William launched the Earthshot Prize, a £50 million initiative to incentivize environmental solutions over the next decade.
The prize aims to reward and support individuals and organizations working to protect and restore the planet by addressing five key challenges: protecting and restoring nature, cleaning our air, reviving our oceans, building a waste-free world, and fixing our climate.
The prize is inspired by the concept of moonshots, which refers to ambitious and groundbreaking goals that can transform the world.
Awards
Prince William has received several awards and honours for his achievements and contributions as a royal and citizen. Some of the most notable ones are:
- Knight of the Garter (2008), the highest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom.
- Knight of the Thistle (2012), the highest order of chivalry in Scotland
- Order of the Bath (2016), a senior order of chivalry for service to the nation or the Commonwealth.
- Order of St John (2016), a royal order of chivalry for humanitarian and charitable work.
- Order of the British Empire (2018) is a civil order of chivalry for service to the arts.
Net Worth
According to Forbes, Prince William has an estimated net worth of $1.34 billion.
His wealth comes from various sources, such as his inheritance from his mother, Princess Diana, and his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, which is a private estate that funds the public and private activities of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, his salary from his military and civilian jobs, and his investments and assets.
He also receives an annual allowance from the Sovereign Grant, a public fund that covers the official expenses of the royal family.
Controversy
Prince William has faced some controversies in his life, such as:
- The death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris in 1997, which sparked a public outcry and a media frenzy. William was only 15 years old at the time and had to deal with the grief and the scrutiny of the world. He later blamed the paparazzi for chasing and harassing his mother and accused them of being partly responsible for her death. He also criticized the royal establishment for their cold and distant response to the tragedy and praised his mother for her warmth and compassion.
- The divorce of his parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in 1996 resulted from their unhappy and turbulent marriage. William was 14 years old at the time and had to witness the bitter and messy separation of his parents, who aired their grievances and accusations in public. He also had to cope with the scandal of his father’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, who later became his stepmother and the Duchess of Cornwall. William was initially resentful and hostile towards Camilla but later accepted and befriended her.
- The media intrusion into his private life, especially his relationship with Catherine Middleton. William and Catherine tried to keep their romance low-key and discreet, but they were constantly hounded and harassed by the press and the public, who wanted to know every detail of their love story.
- They were also subjected to rumours and speculations, such as their break-up in 2007, engagement in 2010, and marriage in 2011. William was very protective of Catherine and often complained and sued the media for invading their privacy and violating their rights.
- The criticism of his work ethic and royal expenses questioned his commitment and contribution to his royal role. William was accused of being lazy and reluctant to take on more responsibilities and engagements, as he preferred to focus on his personal and professional interests.
- He was also criticized for spending too much on his lifestyle and security, such as lavish weddings, expensive vacations, and extravagant homes. William defended himself by saying that he wanted to balance his royal and personal life and that he was careful and sensible with his spending.
- The allegations of racism and bullying at his former school, Eton College, surfaced in 2020. A former student, Kunal Kapoor, claimed that he was racially abused and physically assaulted by some of his classmates, including William, when he was at Eton in the late 1990s.
- He said that William called him a “Paki” and a “wog” and that he punched him in the face and broke his nose. William denied the allegations and said that he was friends with Kapoor and that he never used any racist or violent language or behaviour.
Social Media
Prince William has no personal social media accounts and prefers to keep his online presence minimal and official.
He shares his social media platforms with his wife, Catherine, and brother, Harry, and their respective spouses, Meghan and Camilla. They use the following handles:
- Instagram: @theroyalfamily, @dukeandduchessofcambridge, @sussexroyal
- Twitter: @RoyalFamily, @KensingtonRoyal, @SussexRoyal