This week’s post will examine one of the “New Royals,” Prince William, who is second in the line of succession to the British throne.
William was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London on June 21, 1982. He is the first child of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth II, and Diana, Princess of Wales. One week after his birth, his names, William Arthur Philip Louis, were announced at Buckingham Palace. He was baptized in Buckingham Palace on August 4, on the 82nd birthday of The Queen Mother. William’s parents affectionately called him “Wombat” or “Wills,” which was later coined by the press.
William’s first public appearance was on March 1, 1991 during an official visit of his parents in Cardiff, Wales. When he signed the visitor’s book, he showed the world that he was left-handed.
You might have noticed a scar on the left side of William’s face. On June 3, 1991, when William was 8 years old, he was accidentally hit by a fellow student wielding a golf club. He did not lose consciousness, but suffered a depressed fracture on his skull. He was operated on at Great Ormond Street Hospital, resulting in a permanent scar. He jokingly calls it his Harry Potter scar. Sometimes his scar is noticeable, while at other times, when there is less lighting, it is hidden.
Diana wanted her sons to have more experiences than most royal children. She took them everywhere, from Walt Disney World to McDonalds’, to AIDS clinics and homeless shelters. She even let them play video games, which was taboo.
A year after his parents divorced in 1996, his mother passed away in a car crash in Paris. With immense courage, he insisted on walking behind Princess Diana’s hearse in the funeral procession.
In an interview with BBC News, William described this moment:
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, that walk. It felt she was almost walking along beside us to get us through it.”
William attended independent schools: Jane Mynor’s nursery school, pre-prepatory Wetherby School and Ludgrove School. At Ludgrove School, he participated in football, swimming, basketball, clay pigeon shooting and cross country running.
William sat the entrance exam to Eton College (which I saw in London, next to Windsor Castle) and was accepted. There, he studied geography, biology and history of art. He continued playing football, and took up water polo.
Something interesting to me as a journalism major: The Royal Family and the tabloid press agreed that William would be allowed to study free of paparazzi in exchange for regular updates on the Prince’s life.
After graduating from Eton, William took a gap year. He participated in British Army training, worked on English dairy farms, visited Africa, and taught children for ten weeks in Chile. William lived with other young volunteers, sharing common household chores, including cleaning the toilet, and volunteering as the guest radio jockey for the local radio station.
In 2001, William enrolled at the University of St Andrews. Once word spread that he was attending, student applications skyrocketed (mainly from young women.)
“I just want to go to university and have fun I want to be an ordinary student,” he said. “I’m only going to university. It’s not like I’m getting married.”
William got want he wanted. He was a normal student who lived with other normal students (including someone named Kate Middleton.) Their friendship soon blossomed into romance.
While William remained reticent about marriage, royal observers noted that Kate’s ever-increasing presence in the young Prince’s life might soon lead to wedding bells.
In 2007, just when it was thought an engagement was imminent, the duo went their separate ways. Royal watchers realized the break-up was temporary (and due to the military) when the pair were spotted kissing passionately and dancing closely at a party held in William’s Army barracks.
The extra attention (and romance) did not deter William from getting a Scottish Master of Arts degree with upper second class honors. While at university, he represented the Scottish national universities water polo team at the Celtic Nations tournament in 2004. He was known as “Steve” by other students to avoid any journalists overhearing and realizing his identity.
After he decided to follow a military career, William underwent selection to become an army officer. Once he passed the selection, he was admitted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in January 2006. Because he was second in line to the throne, William was never allowed to see combat. Therefore, William trained in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
Since his graduation, William began fulfilling more royal duties: traveling to different countries, sponsoring humanitarian efforts and participating in sports.
On Nov. 16 2010, Clarence House announced that Prince William and Middleton were to marry (the couple became engaged in Kenya in October.) The engagement ring given by William to Catherine was Diana’s.
The wedding took place on April 29, 2011 in Westminster Abbey (where I have now been to!)
Since then, the couple has had two children– Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Their third child is due in April 2018.
To learn more about William’s life, check out these great videos:
Until next time!
Cheerio,
Carly
* Information adapted from Wikipedia, Bibliography.com and Hello Magazine.
A Touch of Royalty 