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Catherine, princess of Walesconsort of Prince William
William, prince of Wales
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- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Catherine, princess of Wales father Charles III mother Diana, princess of Wales brother Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
- Role In:
- British Royal Wedding of 2011
Recent News
William, prince of Wales, in full William Arthur Philip Louis, prince of Wales, duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus, formerly Prince William of Wales, (born June 21, 1982, Paddington, London, England), elder son of Charles III and Diana, princess of Wales, and heir apparent to the British throne.
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). Before enrolling at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he studied art history and, later, geography, William spent a year traveling. 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 2005 William graduated from St. Andrews, and the following year he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Despite his willingness to join British forces in Iraq, military officials suggested that neither William nor his younger brother, Harry, should serve, 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 that 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.
William ranks among the most popular figures of the royal family. He was admired for his public poise and grace following his mother’s death in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Ten years later William and Harry organized a London memorial service to mark the anniversary of her death. Much like his father, William is also an avid sportsman and active in environmental issues. 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.”
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, and their daughter, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge, was born on May 2, 2015. Catherine gave birth to a second son, Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge, on April 23, 2018.
Following the death of Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, Charles became king. William became heir apparent and inherited the title duke of Cornwall from his father, who soon also conferred the title prince of Wales upon William.