'Prince William of Wales' (William Arthur Philip Louis; born
21 June 1982) is the elder son of
Charles, Prince of Wales and the late
Diana, Princess of Wales. He is second in the
line of succession to the
British throne and thrones of each of the other
Commonwealth Realms. As the son of the Prince of Wales and grandson of
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William is a member of the
British Royal Family.
The prince is as of 2007 serving as a
Cornet in the
Blues and Royals regiment of the
British Army's
Household Cavalry, like his younger brother,
Prince Harry. Within his regiment, he is known as 'Cornet William Wales'.
[2]
Birth, family, and childhood
Prince William was born on
21 June 1982 at
St Mary's Hospital in
Paddington,
West London,
England. His father is
Charles, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of
Queen Elizabeth II and
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His mother was the late
Diana, Princess of Wales, youngest daughter of
John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and
Frances Ruth Burke-Roche. As a grandchild of the British monarch and son of the
Prince of Wales, he is styled "''His Royal Highness'' Prince William of Wales". As a child, he was affectionately called by his parents
Wombat, Camel, or Wills.
He was baptised by then
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr.
Robert Runcie, on
4 August 1982. It was the 82nd birthday of his paternal great grandmother
Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The baptism took place in the Music Room at
Buckingham Palace. His
godparents are: former
King Constantine of Greece,
Sir Laurens van der Post,
Princess Alexandra, the
Duchess of Westminster,
Lord Brabourne and
Lady Susan Hussey.
Through his maternal grandfather, Prince William is descended from King
Charles II of England and King
James II of England. William, should he become King, will be the first monarch since
Queen Anne to be descended from
Charles I of England.
He has a younger brother,
Prince Harry, born 15 September 1984.
On
1 March 1991 (
Saint David's Day), Prince William made his first official public appearance during a visit to
Cardiff, the
capital of
Wales. After arriving by plane, the eight-year-old prince was taken by his parents to
Llandaff Cathedral. After a tour of the cathedral, he signed its visitors' book, demonstrating that he was left-handed. Photographs of the Prince taken during his visit are on permanent display at the cathedral. On his departure, numerous school children and local residents from the surrounding area presented gifts to him, which he received with a smile and the whispered words "thank you".
On
3 June 1991, Prince William was admitted to the
Royal Berkshire Hospital after being hit on the side of the forehead by another pupil wielding a golf club. The Prince did not lose consciousness, but suffered a depressed fracture of the skull and was operated on at the
Great Ormond Street Hospital. A slight scar is still visible today.
Death of Prince William's mother
On
31 August 1997, Prince William's mother, Diana, was
killed in a car accident in
Paris,
France. Her death came days after she spent a holiday in southern
France with both Prince William and Prince Harry. Both princes were staying with the Queen at
Balmoral Castle at the time. Their father, Charles, woke them from their sleep to tell them the news.
At his mother's funeral, Prince William accompanied his father, brother, his grandfather Prince Philip and his uncle
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer in the funeral cortege from
Buckingham Palace to
Westminster Abbey. During his eulogy, the Earl Spencer promised that the Spencer family would take an active interest in looking after Diana's children, although William has seen little of him since then and also had little contact with
Frances Shand Kydd, Diana's mother..
Education
Prince William attended
independent schools in southern England. In his early years he was a pupil at Mrs Jane Mynors' nursery school and the pre-preparatory
Wetherby School, both in West London. In
1987, he also joined ''Fun With Music'', a
music appreciation class conducted by
Ann Rachlin. Then, he attended
Ludgrove School in Berkshire, a
preparatory school. After passing an entrance exam, he went on to
Eton College in
Berkshire. Whilst there, he studied
geography,
biology and
history of art at
A-level. He was a keen football (soccer) player and captained his house team.
Like a growing number of British
teenagers, Prince William chose to take a
gap year after finishing
Eton College. He took part in a
British Army training exercise in
Belize. He spent the final stage of his gap year in southern
Chile as a volunteer with
Raleigh International. Pictures of the prince cleaning a toilet were broadcast around the world.
[3]
After his gap year, Prince William attended the
University of St Andrews in
Fife,
Scotland from 2001, graduating in 2005. He embarked on a degree course in
History of Art, but later changed his main subject to
Geography. William earned a
Scottish Master of Arts degree with
upper-second class honours, the highest academic achievement of any heir to the British and other Commonwealth Realm thrones. At St Andrews, the Prince used the name William Wales.
In January 2006, Prince William began his cadet course at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to train as an Army Officer, joining his brother who had been there since May 2005. He passed out in December 2006, following his brother into the
Blues and Royals.
Royal duties and career
In July
2005, William carried out his first official engagements representing
Elizabeth II, as
Queen of New Zealand, at
World War II commemorations in
New Zealand. In the autumn of 2005, the prince took two work placements. He initially worked in land management at
Chatsworth House, a
Peak District estate of the
Duke of Devonshire. William's second work placement was with the
HSBC Group in London.
William's first
patronage was to the UK charity Centrepoint,
[4] which works with
homeless young people. During his mother's patronage to the charity, William would occasionally accompany her on visits. William is also patron of the Tusk Trust, an African conservation charity based in the UK.
The British journalist
Johann Hari has inexplicably argued in ''
Le Monde'' that William does not want to be King on the basis of the follwing incident: "Nicholas Davies, the royal expert, has revealed that during one holiday in his mid-teens, William was tobogganing down a steep hill in the dark. When he neared the bottom of the slope, where cars were passing, a detective leapt out, seemingly from nowhere. He threw himself on to the sledge and sent William hurtling into a pile of snow. William screamed, "Why do I have to be surrounded by policemen all the time? Why won't you just let me be a normal person?""
[5].
Prince William at a Polo match at Sandhurst, July 2007
The prince has been the president of England's
Football Association since May 2006. In August 2006 it was announced that he would become Vice Royal Patron of the
Welsh Rugby Union from February 2007, supporting his grandmother the Queen, who is Patron of the WRU.
In August of 2006, the Queen appointed Prince William to two patronages of the
Royal Navy. William is
Commodore-in-Chief for
Scotland and
Commodore-in-Chief for
submarines.
Like many of his predecessors, Prince William has chosen to serve in the
British Armed Forces. On
15 December 2006, Prince William graduated from the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). The passing out parade was attended by the Queen and Prince Charles, along with other members of the Royal Family and
Kate Middleton, Prince William's then girlfriend. Prince William officially received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant at a midnight ceremony on
15 December,
2006. Following the announcement in
September, Prince William followed his younger brother into the
Blues and Royals as a troop leader. Prince William will now spend four months at Bovington Camp in Dorset, training to become a troop commander in an armoured reconnaissance unit.
Prince William and Prince Harry have both indicated that they would be prepared to undertake active service. Given his position in the succession and the reluctance of previous British governments to allow the heir to the throne to be put into dangerous situations, it remains to be seen if this wish will be fully realised. However,
Major General Sebastian Roberts, general officer commanding the Household Division, indicated it was possible that the prince could be deployed to a conflict zone. However, Prince Harry's May 2007 deployment was cancelled because of "specific threats".
Unlike Prince Harry, who will continue as a career soldier, Prince William will go on to spend time with both the
RAF and the
Royal Navy to prepare him for his future role. He will also increasingly carry out public engagements in parallel to his military career.
Prince William has also reportedly expressed a desire to become the
Governor General of Australia. That such a desire should ever be fulfilled remains doubtful, according to
John Howard the Prime Minister of Australia, who says ""We have for a long time embraced the idea that the person who occupies that post should be in every way an Australian citizen".
[2]
In July 2007, Prince William represented the Royal Family when he opened the
21st World Scout Jamboree celebrating the centennial of the founding of the
Scout Movement.
Girlfriends
Kate Middleton
William's private life has been the subject of much conjecture. In late 2005 the media began intensively reporting his long-term relationship with then girlfriend
Kate Middleton, formerly one of his university flatmates, whom he began dating in November or December 2003. There was no statement from the Queen or the Prince of Wales regarding their views of the relationship or a possible marriage.
Kate Middleton attended Prince William's passing out parade at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on
15 December 2006. This was the first high-profile event Middleton attended as Prince William's guest. She was accompanied by her parents and the prince's private secretary
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton.
On
14 April 2007 ''
The Sun'' newspaper broke a 'world exclusive' suggesting that Prince William and Kate Middleton had split up.
[6] Other media outlets such as the
BBC confirmed the story as the day progressed. The couple decided to break up during a recent holiday in the
Swiss resort of
Zermatt.
[7][8]
A report in the ''
Daily Mail'' blamed a desire by royal courtiers not to "hurry along" a marriage announcement, and William's desire to enjoy his bachelor status within his Army career. The Mail also suggested that William's friend
Guy Pelly encouraged the Prince to take a "careless approach" to relationships. The same article suggested that Middleton had "expected too much" in wanting William to demonstrate his commitment to her.
[9]
In June 2007, the young couple attended a party at an army barracks together. Kate Middleton and
Prince William insisted they were "just good friends" following reports of a reconciliation.
[10]. William also invited Middleton to attend
Concert for Diana, held at London's Wembley Stadium. Middleton did attend the
Concert for Diana at
Wembley Stadium, however, she and William kept their distance.
[11]
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
★ '
21 June 1982-:' ''His Royal Highness'' Prince William of Wales
Styles
Surname usage
Under an
Order-in-Council in
1960, the non-titled descendants of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were given the surname
Mountbatten-Windsor, combining the surnames of Elizabeth and Philip. However, although titled, the Queen's children have all decided to use the surname also in honour of their father. For their
banns for their first marriages, both William's aunt,
Anne, Princess Royal and his own father,
Charles, Prince of Wales, used ''Mountbatten-Windsor'' rather than ''Windsor''. ''Mountbatten-Windsor'' is now officially treated as being the surname of all descendants of the Queen and the Duke except those, like the children of the Princess Royal, who have a new paternal surname (in that case, "Phillips").
As with Royal Family tradition, Prince William used "Wales" as a last name during his years of education, as has Prince Harry. William's York cousins in turn use "York" (other Royal Families also use their parents' title as their own working surname). Past precedent, however, is that such title-surnames are dropped from usage in adulthood, with either title alone or name and Mountbatten-Windsor being used on legal documents and banns of marriage.
Future
Upon the presumed accession of his father to the throne, William will automatically and immediately, inherit the titles of
Duke of Rothesay and
Duke of Cornwall and it is expected that he will be invested by the King as
Prince of Wales, although this is not automatic.
Should his father predecease the Queen, leaving William as first-in-line to the throne, she may choose to create him Prince of Wales in his own right.
The issue of what title, if any, Prince William might receive prior to his father's accession to the throne is more problematic - Buckingham Palace has refused to speculate as to what title might be given to Prince William in the future - however, since it is usual for a title to be awarded upon marriage, this is not an imminent consideration. It is likely that he will be created a duke upon marriage.
Regnal
As the eldest son of the current Prince of Wales, William is also expected to ascend to the respective thrones of the
United Kingdom and the other 15
Commonwealth Realms. Were William to decide to use his first name as his
regnal name, he would be known as
William V.
Honours
Military
★ 'OCdt', ''
January –
December 2006'': Officer Cadet,
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
★ 'Ct', ''
December 2006 –'': Cornet,
The Blues and Royals
Honorary military appointments
★ ''
8 August 2006 –'':
Commodore-in-Chief,
Scotland
★ ''
8 August 2006 –'':
Commodore-in-Chief,
Submarines
Arms
Arms of Prince William of Wales
On his 18th birthday, Prince William was granted his own personalized
coat of arms. His arms are those of the
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom with a label for difference: ''Quarterly (by quarters):
:'1st' and '4th', Gules three Lions passant guardant in pale Or (England). (The first and fourth quarters display the three lions, representing England).
:'2nd' quarter is of a lion rampant within a Double Tressure floury counterflory Gules (Scotland). (The second quarter, displays a red lion in a yellow field with a double border coloured red, this represents Scotland).
:' 3rd', Azure a Harp Or stringed Argent (Ireland). (The third quarter shows a harp against a blue background, this represents Ireland).
The whole distinguished by a Label of three points Argent the central point charged with an ''Escallop Gules''. The ''Escallop Gules'' is in reference to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales (deceased), as the Escallop appears in the
Spencer coat of arms. As the eldest son of the eldest son of the sovereign, his arms are distinguished by a label of three points unlike the arms of other grandchildren of the sovereign (if granted) which are distinguished by a label of five points.
Ancestry
Genealogists' results of his well-researched ancestry are presented, for example, at the
Genealogics database. (Even further ancestry upwards can be clicked there.)
Through his maternal grandfather, Prince William is descended from King
Charles II of England and King
James II of England. William, should he become King, will be the first monarch since
Queen Anne to be descended from
Charles I of England.
Popular Culture References
★ In the fictional ''
Princess in Waiting'' book, Princess Mia meets Prince William at the Farewell Ball that Genovia throws for her before her return to America. He briefly says something polite to her before turning away, and Mia is temporarily dazzled by his eyes. Prince William is also referred to at other instances in the book series.
★ On ''
Instant Star'', Jamie claims sarcastically that if Tommy resembles
Johnny Depp, then he is William, to which Sadie replies that Tommy looks nothing like Johnny Depp.
★ Paris, on ''
Gilmore Girls'', contacts Rory through her boyfriend Dean's cell phone and to alleviate Rory's surprise, Paris says that she will no longer call "Prince William" on his cell.
★ A 50-year-old deposed Prince William is a recurring character in the ''
American Flagg!'' comic book series from the 1980s. He had been living in Oklahoma since 1996, and was commonly known as "Bill" though his formal name was William Windsor-Jones.
★ Lizzie McGuire's cartoon alter-ego, while Lizzie walks down the red carpet leading to a ceremony in
the movie named after her, receives a call from William on a cell phone. Caught up in the glamour of the moment, she puts him on hold.
★ ''
What a Girl Wants'' finds Daphne Reynolds strutting down the catwalk in a fashion show which William (played by official
lookalike Matthew Turpin) attends. Eventually, after thanking London, Daphne falls off the stage and onto his father's lap.
★ In '', Prince William is included in the line-up of photos from which Princess Mia must choose her future husband. After Mia exclaims, "Oh, yes, yes! I—I absolutely accept!" she is informed that because William is in line for the British throne, he is ineligible.
★ In an episode of ''
Criminal Minds'', Garcia hacks into the CIA database to get Prince William's phone number.
★ In ''
Love Actually'', the character of
Colin Frissell hatches a plan to visit
Wisconsin in search of romance because, as he puts it, "any bar anywhere in
America contains ten girls more beautiful and more likely to have sex with me than the whole of the
United Kingdom." His rationale is that American women will find his accent irresistible, that "stateside [he is] Prince William without the weird family."
★ He also appears in a book called ''
To Catch a Prince''.
★ In the '80s comic strip
Bloom County, Prince William makes a brief appearance as a ferocious child ("William the Terrible"). He announces his intention to "take back Massachusetts" and "conquer and pillage weak countries" upon becoming King.
★ In the Korean drama ''
Goong'', Prince William visits the palace to explore Korean culture.
★ In the movie ''
Spiceworld'', when the tour bus is rushing through London to get to their last concert, the Spice Girls are seen waving at Prince William and Prince Harry.
★ Gracie Hart, during an interview in '', is asked whether or not she and William are dating. She replies that they are not and that she dislikes castles.
See also
★
Royal William, a German red rose named after Prince William shortly after his birth.
★
British prince
Notes
1. As a titled royal, William holds no surname, but, when one ''is'' used, it is 'Mountbatten-Windsor' (or his father's territorial designation, Wales)
2. William joining Harry's regiment
3. [1]
4. Prince William Patron of Centrepoint
5. Johann Hari "Why William won't do it", ''La Monde'', May 2003 as quoted on Hari's website.
6. "Wills and Kate split", ''The Sun'', 14 April 2007. Retrieved on 15 April 2007.
7. Wills & Kate: Tears in the Alps (The Sun)
8. Prince William splits from Kate (BBC)
9. "A historic act of folly and supreme egotism on the part of the Prince", ''Daily Mail'' website, 14 April 2007. Retrieved on 15 April 2007.
10. News: Wills and Kate are 'just friends' (The Sun)
11. "Chelsy and Harry get close at the Diana concert ... but Kate and William keep us guessing". ''Daily Mail''. Retrieved July 1, 2007
External links
★
Royal.gov.uk - Prince William
★
Prince of Wales.gov.uk - Prince William
★
Monarchy Wales - leading campaign organisation
★
Illustrated biography of Prince William
★
Prince William graduates from RMAS
★
Prince William talks with NBC's Matt Lauer
★
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