William, prince of Wales

William, prince of Wales (born June 21, 1982, Paddington, London, England) elder son of Charles III and Diana, princess of Wales, and the heir apparent to the British throne. William is one of the most popular members of the British royal family, and he has come to personify the modern monarchy.

Early life and education

William is the first British heir apparent born at a hospital (St. Mary’s in London). His childhood also differed from earlier royals. Most notably, he and his younger brother, Prince Harry, were exposed to a world beyond royal privilege by their mother, who sought to give her sons a “normal” upbringing. As a result, the boys took public transportation, went to fast food restaurants, and visited homeless shelters and orphanages. William received his early education at Wetherby School in London and later attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire (1990–95) and Eton College in Windsor (1995–2000).

Britannica Quiz

William and Catherine

After a tumultuous marriage, William’s parents divorced in 1996. The following year, Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. William, who was 15 years old, was admired for his public poise and grace in the wake of her death. The image of him and 12-year-old Harry walking solemnly behind Diana’s casket as it was carried through the streets of London did much to endear the brothers to the British public. While William rarely spoke publicly about his mother’s death, he stated in a speech during a tour of Scotland in 2021 that “Scotland is the source of some of my happiest memories. But also, my saddest. I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died.” He went on to note that he found solace in the Scottish outdoors.

In 2000 William was accepted to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, but he opted to defer enrollment to take a gap year. Having been exposed to charitable activities early in his life by his mother, he volunteered in Chile. He also worked at a British dairy farm and visited Belize and countries in Africa. In 2001 he enrolled at St. Andrews, where he studied art history and, later, geography. William graduated four years later.

Military career

In 2006 William entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Despite his willingness to join British forces in Iraq, military officials suggested that neither William nor Harry should serve there, because they could become specific targets of attack, thereby putting their fellow soldiers at risk (Harry later served two tours of duty in Afghanistan). In 2008 William went on attachment to the Royal Air Force and then to the Royal Navy so he could gain experience in all three major branches of the armed services. In 2010 he completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the RAF Search and Rescue Force and began a tour of duty in Wales. He reportedly participated in more than 150 operations before ending his military service in September 2013. William later served as an air ambulance pilot from July 2015 to July 2017.

Marriage and children

In November 2010 it was announced that William would marry his longtime girlfriend, Catherine (Kate) Middleton, whom he had met at St. Andrews. The royal wedding took place on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London. The couple’s first son, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, was born on July 22, 2013. They subsequently had a daughter, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge (born May 2, 2015), and a second son, Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge (born April 23, 2018).

Later life

William ranks among the most popular figures of the royal family, known for his ease and relatability, traits that his mother also possessed. In various ways, William has sought to honour Princess Diana’s legacy. In 2007 he and Harry organized a London memorial service to mark the 10-year anniversary of her death. The two later commissioned a statue of their mother, and it was unveiled on the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2021.

Much like his father, William is an avid sportsman and an environmental activist. In 2020 he announced the creation of the Earthshot Prize, which was inspired by U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” initiative to send a man to the Moon. It was to be awarded in five categories over 10 years, and the goal was to “repair the planet.” The first prizes were presented in 2021.

While William has largely avoided the scandals that plagued his parents, his relationship with Harry became fodder for the tabloids beginning in 2020. That year Harry and his wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, announced that they would “step back” from their royal duties. The brothers’ relationship became increasingly strained, especially after Harry and Meghan publicly criticized the royal family. During a discussion about racism, Harry claimed that there was “a huge level of unconscious bias” among family members. This came as the monarchy faced an intensifying backlash over its colonial legacy of exploitation, repression, and slavery. During a Caribbean tour in 2022, William and Catherine encountered protests as many countries in the region considered removing the British monarch as head of state. William later said that “racism…has no place in our society.”

On September 8, 2022, Elizabeth II died, and Charles became king. William became heir apparent and inherited the title duke of Cornwall from his father, who soon conferred the additional title prince of Wales upon William.