William of Wales

William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; London, June 21, 1982) is the eldest son of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, therefore, is first in line to the British throne and heir to the British Crown and the other kingdoms of the Commonwealth of Nations since 2022. He has been married to Catherine, Princess of Wales since 2011, with whom He has three children: Princes George, Charlotte and Louis of Wales.

He was educated at four schools in the United Kingdom and obtained his degree in Geography at the University of Saint Andrews. He spent part of his sabbatical year in Chile, Belize and in some countries on the African continent. He received training as a lieutenant of the Blues & Royals of the Royal Cavalry – where he served alongside his brother Prince Harry – and obtained his pilot's license after completing his training at RAFC Cranwell academy. In 2009, he moved to the Royal Air Force (RAF), where he was promoted to the rank of Air Force officer and completed training as a search and rescue helicopter pilot.

On 16 November 2010, Clarence House announced in a press release that Prince William and his bride, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, were engaged and it was later confirmed that the ceremony would take place on 29 April 2011 at the abbey. of Westminster, London. Hours before the wedding, Prince William was created Duke of Cambridge, with the subsidiary titles of Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus by Queen Elizabeth II.

On July 22, 2013, her first-born son, Prince George of Wales, was born, currently second in the order of succession and who, at that time, was third in line to the British throne. On July 2, 2013 May 2015, Princess Charlotte of Wales was born. On April 23, 2018, the birth of her third child and second son, Prince Louis of Wales, was made public.

Biography

Birth

Baptized Guillermo Arturo Felipe Luis (William Arthur Philip Louis), he was born on June 21, 1982 at St. Mary's Hospital, London. He is the first son of King Charles III and his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales. He was, at the time of his birth, the third grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

As a male grandson in the line of succession to Queen Elizabeth II and as the son of the then Prince of Wales Charles, he was granted the treatment and title of "His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales."

He has a brother two years younger, Enrique de Sussex, known as Prince Harry (1984).

Baptism

He was baptized in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace on 4 August 1982 – a date which coincided with the 82nd birthday of his paternal great-grandmother, the Queen Mother Elizabeth – and the ceremony was presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, at that time, Robert Runcie. His godparents were: Constantine II of Greece, Princess Alexandra, the Duchess Consort of Westminster, Lady Susan Hussey, Lord Romsey and Sir Laurens van der Post.

First years of life

According to People magazine, at the age of seven he told his mother that when he grew up he wanted to be a police officer so he could protect her, to which his brother responded: "Oh, you can not. You have to be king.” His first public appearance was on March 1, 1991—St. David's Day—during an official visit by his parents to Cardiff, Wales. After his plane landed, he was taken to Llandaff Cathedral, where he signed the guest book and showed that he was left-handed. On 3 June he was admitted to Royal Berkshire Hospital after suffering a blow to the side of his forehead. with a golf club, which was accidentally hit by a friend while the two were playing. Although he did not lose consciousness, he suffered a depressed skull fracture and underwent surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The incident left him with a permanent scar. Princess Diana, his mother, always wanted her two children to have "normal" experiences, which other children in the royal family probably had not had for several years, but Above all, she wanted to teach them profound life lessons, so she took her children to places like Walt Disney World, McDonald's, HIV clinics, and shelters for the needy.

Death of his mother

In 1997, his mother, who at that time was already divorced from the then Prince of Wales, died in a car accident in Paris, France. William was on holiday at the time with his father and brother at Balmoral Castle. Carlos waited until the morning of the next day to announce Diana's death to his children. At his mother's funeral, he accompanied his father, his brother, his grandfather Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and his uncle the 9th Earl Spencer to walk behind the funeral procession, which began at Buckingham Palace and ended at the Westminster Abbey.

Education

Prince William was educated in private schools, beginning his preschool education at Jane Mynors and then attending Wetherby School, both establishments located in London. He later entered Ludgrove School preparatory school and during the summers received private lessons with his private tutor, Rory Stewart. He was admitted to Eton College, after successfully passing the entrance exam. There he studied Geography, Biology and Art History, the latter discipline at an advanced level. At Ludgrove, he participated in sports activities such as football, swimming, basketball, clay pigeon shooting, and cross country track and field. At Eton he continued to play football and began practicing water polo; in fact, he was captain of his house games. As captain he managed to get his football team to the semi-finals in his school's main competition. The decision to enroll him at Eton was contrary to the tradition of the royal family, who They had the custom of sending their children to Gordonstoun - a school attended by their grandfather, their father, their two uncles and their two cousins; However, he followed the Spencer family tradition, as his grandfather and maternal uncle were educated there. During his period of education, the royal family reached an agreement with the tabloid press that established that he would study freely and without the intrusion of the paparazzi in exchange for regular updates on the prince's life. Baron Wakeham, chairman of the Press Complaints Committee, declared: "Prince William is not an institution, nor a soap opera star, nor a football hero. He is a boy however in the next few years, possibly the most important or most painful stage of his life, he will grow up and become a man.

After completing his studies at Eton, he decided to take a gap year, part of which he devoted to training with the British Army in Belize, and for ten weeks, in the final stage of his year, he taught children such as volunteer for the Raleigh International program, in the city of Tortel, southern Chile. In the last mentioned place he lived together with other volunteers, shared household tasks such as scrubbing toilets and even volunteered as a DJ at a local radio station.

In 2001, he was back in the United Kingdom and enrolled under the name William Wales at the University of Saint Andrews in Fife, Scotland. This news caused the number of applications to Saint Andrews to increase by of girls who wanted an opportunity to meet the prince. Despite the attention he received, he did not change his mind and continued with his career in Art History, although some time later he decided to change his studies for a degree in Geography. He graduated in 2005 with a master's degree in Art History and obtained honors in Geography - the highest qualification achieved by an heir to the British throne. In his university years he was a member of the Scottish university water polo team and in 2004 he participated in the annual Celtic Nations tournament. His teammates at Saint Andrews called him by the name Steve in order to prevent any journalist from recognizing his true identity.

Royal duties and military career

From an early age he accompanied his parents on official visits and in 1983 he made his first royal tour to Australia and New Zealand; a decision that was made by the Princess of Wales and that was considered unconventional because her son was too young and because both heirs to the throne would travel together. Even so, he accompanied his parents or one of his parents on subsequent official tours, and after graduating from university, he began to assume various royal duties. She also gained work experience in the private sector when she worked in land management at Chatsworth House and did work placements at HSBC.

In July 2005, he performed his first official acts, representing Queen Elizabeth on the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. As well as being president of the English Football Association, he chairs the charity Centrepoint, which works with homeless young people. Centrepoint is the first organization of which he is president. During his mother's sponsorship, he occasionally accompanied her on her visits.

Military career

William decided to pursue a military career, which is why he attended a four-day selection process in October 2005 to determine his suitability to become an officer in the British Army in Westbury, Wiltshire. After passing the selection exam, he entered RMA Sandhurst in January 2006. On 15 December of that year, he successfully completed training and celebrated his graduation with a military parade attended by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles of Wales, along with other members of the royal family. At midnight, he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the British Army. Like his younger brother, he joined the Blues & Royals, where he trained for four months at Bovington military camp in Dorset, as a troop leader in an armored reconnaissance unit. On 29 May 2012, he achieved the rank of flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force.

Dating and commitment

During his years at university he maintained a typical student life, as he went to bars and socialized with his friends. About himself he declared: "I'm not a party animal, despite what some people consider."

Like his father, the then Prince Charles, his life became the subject of speculation in the tabloid newspapers, especially everything concerning his relationship with Kate Middleton, with whom he shared a house during university and with the who began a romantic relationship in 2003. Media interest in the relationship increased when Middleton attended the graduation ceremony at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as William's guest.

After this event, bets skyrocketed on the possibility of a future royal wedding. Press attention became more intense when the prince asked the paparazzi to keep their distance from Middleton and respect the privacy of both. In March 2007 Middleton filed a complaint of journalistic harassment against the Daily Mirror to the Press Complaints Commission. In April of that year the press reported that the couple had separated; however In June Middleton attended a party at the Lulworth military barracks as the prince's guest and in July she was seen at Princess Diana's memorial concert, which had been organized by her two sons.

On November 16, 2010, Clarence House issued a press release stating that Prince William and Kate Middleton would marry. After much speculation, on November 23 it was announced that the wedding would take place on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, and it would be a national holiday in the United Kingdom. The engagement ring — an 18-carat sapphire — that Middleton received was the same engagement ring that Diana, Princess of Wales, received from HRH. Charles, Prince of Wales. On the day of the wedding date announcement, Clarence House reported that the couple had become engaged in October while on vacation in Kenya, a fact that was later confirmed by the prince in an interview that was broadcast on television from London.

Middleton was officially introduced to public life on February 24, 2011, two months before her wedding, when she attended the launching of a lifeboat in Trearddur, North Wales. Since the day of the wedding they both reside in their official home of the Duke of Cambridge, Kensington Palace in London, also at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

Marriage and offspring

Prince William and Catherine became engaged in October 2010, in Kenya, during a ten-day stay at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The trip was initially made to celebrate the completion of the prince's training as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. On November 16, 2010, Clarence House announced the couple's engagement. The prince gave Catherine the engagement ring that had belonged to her mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The wedding took place on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey and was a national holiday in the United Kingdom. Upon their marriage, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom granted them the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, since then they have been known as His Royal Highness, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Since the day of the wedding, both have resided at Kensington Palace. On May 19, 2018, he accompanied his brother Prince Harry to his wedding with Meghan Markle as best man.

Children

• Prince George, born on July 22, 2013.

• Princess Carlota, born May 2, 2015.

• Prince Louis, born April 23, 2018.

Titles, treatments, weapons and honors

Titles

• 21 June 1982 - 29 April 2011: Your Royal Highness Prince William of Wales
• 29 April 2011 - 8 September 2022: Your Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
• 8 September 2022 - 9 September 2022:
  • In England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Your Royal Highness, Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge
  • In Scotland: Your Royal Highness, the Duke of Rothesay
• 9 September 2022 - present: Your Royal Highness, Prince of Wales

On the occasion of their marriage, and as is tradition, Queen Elizabeth II granted him the titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus. His full title is: "His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, Baron Carrickfergus, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and Master of Arts (St And.) He is also an extraordinary knight of the Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle.

When his father assumed the Crown, William immediately became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay as they were titles inherent to the heir to the British Crown; The next day, September 9, 2022, in accordance with tradition, the new king invested him with the title of Prince of Wales, since this event does not occur automatically in the British Royal House.

As the king's firstborn, he is first in line to the throne. At the time of ascending, if the prince used his name as monarch, he would be William V (William V ).

Coat of arms

As Prince of Wales

"Hearing barracks, in the first and fourth, of gold, an intern lion of armed gules and linched of sugar; in the second and third, of gules, an intern of armed gold and azur linguate; differentiated with a silver lambel of three earrings. Above all, with the shield of Wales, with the crown of his title, the crown of the crown of the prince of Wales. Prince William's weapons in Scotland Weapons used as Duke of Rothesay, heir to the Crown of Scotland: "Hearing barracks, in the first and third, of gold, a chessed strip of silver and azur of three orders and 33 pieces; in the second and fourth, of silver, a sable ship, wooded of the same; above all, in a scuson of gold, a rampant lion of gluttons, and armed of azur, enclosed in a trechor of gules,

2000-2022

On his 18th birthday, Prince William was awarded a personal coat of arms by the Queen. The arms are the same as those of the sovereign, only embossed to differentiate them from the full ones, in this case with a lambel with three silver earrings.

The lambel contains in its center a scallop which appears on the arms of the Spencers and which refers to their mother.

Weapons of Guillermo de Gales (2000-2008)	Weapons of Prince William KG (2008-2011)	Cambridge Duke weapons, except Scotland (2011-2022)	Strathearn Count weapons, only Scotland (2011-2022)

Banners

The banners used vary depending on where you are. His personal standard was the royal standard of the United Kingdom differentiated in its arms with a three-foot silver label, and in the center the shield of the Principality of Wales. It is used outside of Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and Canada, places where it has a different banner, and throughout the United Kingdom when it carries an official title associated with the British Armed Forces.

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  Royal Standard as Prince of Wales

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  Real standard as Duke of Cornwall

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  Standard for Personal Use as Prince of Wales

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  Standard for Personal Use as Duke of Rothesay

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  Royal Standard as Prince of Wales for use in Canada

Honors

Decorations

• - April 23, 2008: Knight of the Order of the Jarretera (KG).
• - May 25, 2012: Knight of the Order of the Cardo (KT).

Medals

• - February 6, 2002: Isabel II Gold Jubilee Medal.
• - February 6, 2012: Isabel II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
• - February 6, 2022: Medal of the Platinum Jubilee of Isabel II.
• - May 6, 2023: Medal of the Coronation of King Charles III

Prince William became the 1,000th knight of the Order of the Garter. He was officially invested by the Queen on 16 June 2008 at St George's Chapel in Windsor. The last time a monarch awarded the Garter to one of his grandchildren was in 1894 when Queen Victoria awarded the order to Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Foreign decorations

Commonwealth

• - October 30, 2017: Order of Tuvalu Merit.

America

• - July 6, 2008: Medalla de Logro al Servicio Conjunto.

Military

• Lieutenant Commander of the British Royal Navy, January 1, 2016.
• British Army Major (Blues & Royals), January 1, 2016.
• British Royal Air Force squad leader, January 1, 2016.

Honorary military appointments

• Scottish commodore (RN), August 8, 2006
• Honorary Commodore of RAF, 3 October 2008
• Colonel of the Irish Guards, 10 February 2011.

Cinema

Ancestors

Line of Succession

Predecessor: Carlos de Wales	Prince of Wales 9 September 2022 -	Successor: Position
Predecessor: Carlos de Wales	Duke of Cornwall 8 September 2022 -	Successor: Position
Predecessor: Carlos de Wales	Duke of Rothesay 8 September 2022 -	Successor: Position
Predecessor: Jorge de Cambridge	Duke of Cambridge 29 April 2011	Successor: Position
Predecessor: Charles III of the United Kingdom	Line of succession to the British throne 1.♪ place	Successor: S. A. R. Prince George of Wales