Biography of Prince William
Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis) is the eldest son of the king of the United Kingdom, Charles III (formerly Prince Charles), and Princess Diana, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Philip. Following the death of his grandmother in 2022, he became the primary heir to the British throne and the titles of Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge. He was also bestowed with the title of Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.
Childhood, Youth, Family
William was born in the summer of 1982 in central London, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. He was Prince Charles and Princess Diana's first child. Prince William's baptism was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace.
At eight, William enrolled at Ludgrove School, where he continued to excel. He topped most subjects, won swimming prizes, and captained both the hockey and rugby teams. All this unfolded against his parents' troubled marriage, which deeply worried William.Prince William is very popular among the other children and is known for his kindness, sense of humor, and thoughtfulness.
Charles, meanwhile, would take his sons to the theater during school breaks. The brothers loved these outings. According to Kitty Dimbleby, daughter of Charles's official biographer, he cherished time alone with his sons:Diana often came to Ludgrove to watch football and rugby matches. She sat on the bench and watched William play. I remember once I sat next to her because I had been injured, and Diana was very worried if I was in pain. We didn't make a big deal about her visits. To us boys, she was just William and Harry's nice mom, not a princess.
His parents' 1996 divorce hit William hard. He became more withdrawn and quiet, throwing himself into his studies at Eton College, where he developed a passion for art history.We all met at Highgrove, and I remember sitting in the car with William and Harry, who were throwing raspberries at their father through the window. There were lots of laughs, and it felt like a perfectly normal, wonderful family day. Charles seemed genuinely happy to be with his boys. I remember it really helped distract William from what was happening at home. The newspapers were full of stories about Charles and Diana's marriage problems, and William told me: 'Dad never puts me in an awkward situation, but Mom sometimes does.'
Prince William was only fourteen when his beloved mother died in a car accident. Psychoanalysts helped the teenager cope with his grief, but according to those close to him, William suddenly matured and developed a deep resentment toward journalists, whom he blamed for his mother's death. He believed that Diana had given that explosive interview about her husband's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles under pressure, or that journalists had exploited her emotional vulnerability.
The Army and the Prince's Duties
In 2001, the prince became a student at the University of St Andrew's in Scotland. William continued to study art history but switched to geography in his third year as his travels had sparked an interest in this field.After graduating with honors, the prince traveled to New Zealand as Queen Elizabeth II's official representative for the 60th anniversary celebrations marking the end of World War II. He carried out his ongoing royal duties with distinction.
After completing his service, William returned to traditional royal duties: charity work and public engagements. The foundation he established helped the poor and families of British military veterans. The prince, a passionate advocate for preserving Earth's natural resources, also participated in various environmental initiatives. He visited wounded veterans in hospitals, distributed food to the homeless, and gave talks to schoolchildren. As president of the English Football Association, he worked to get as many kids as possible involved in the sport.Your Royal Highness! We've been anxiously following the search and rescue operation for the Russian sailors from the sunken ship 'Swanland' all day. We know that you were actively involved in the rescue efforts as part of the operational team, and two sailors survived thanks to your selfless efforts in difficult weather conditions. Allow me to express my deep gratitude to you and your colleagues for saving the lives of Russians.
Another devastating blow for William was his strained relationship with his brother, who gave up his royal duties in 2020 and openly discussed family problems in an interview with American TV host Oprah Winfrey. Harry specifically accused his older brother and sister-in-law of bullying his wife, actress Meghan Markle. Following unwritten royal protocol, William hasn't publicly responded to Prince Harry's claims.I believe that the deceitful way in which the interview was obtained significantly influenced what my mother said. The interview was a major contribution to the worsening relationship between my parents and has since caused pain to countless other people. It is incredibly sad to learn that the BBC's failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia, and isolation that I remember from her final years with us.
Personal Life of Prince William
The private lives of Princess Diana's sons captured public fascination just as much as her own did during her lifetime. Prince William rarely sparked gossip or speculation, though he started dating from an early age. One of them was aristocrat Davina Duckworth-Chad, whom William had known since childhood. Their parents even discussed what a perfect social match their children would make, but the young people themselves were just friends.
Their relationship started out purely platonic but began to deepen as they got to know each other better. Years later, in an interview, William revealed:
Despite their long friendship and growing feelings, William wasn't faithful to Kate. During college, he had a passionate fling with Jessica Craig, the daughter of Prince Charles's friend, and later got involved with Isabella Calthorpe, a friend of Princess Eugenie.As soon as I met Kate, I knew that this was a special relationship for me. I instantly wanted to get to know her better. In the end, we were friends for some time. I believe friendship is a great advantage. It's a kind of foundation on which everything is built. I knew that as the years went by, everything would get better and better. We had difficulties, like in any relationship. But we recovered from that, continued to live. And, you know, when you just start dating and getting to know each other, small strange problems arise - so all that is behind us, and now it's very simple and very cool to be with each other, and, as you can see, I am extremely funny, and she likes that.
He did not get engaged to any of these girls. William kept returning to Kate, who felt hurt but stayed on good terms with the prince. Still, after graduating from university, the couple decided to split up, which was immediately splashed across all the tabloids.
In 2011, the whole world watched a grand wedding unfold. Following the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II announced that the newlyweds would be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Meanwhile, the brothers' relationship started falling apart after Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle. William struggled to accept his younger brother's choice. Things got especially tense after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals and sat down with Oprah Winfrey for that explosive interview. The media only began discussing a possible reconciliation after both princes walked behind their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's coffin following her death in September 2022.
Prince William Now
2023 kicked off with major drama for Prince William and the royal family. The source of all this drama was Prince Harry's explosive memoir "The Spare," which sent shockwaves through the UK and beyond. Harry insisted the book's release was "dictated by concern for the members of the royal family," claiming he had twice as much material but held back to avoid putting his father and brother in an even tougher spot. When accused of trying to undermine the monarchy, Harry fired back:Harry's bombshell revelations about royal family conflicts, his confessions, and accusations triggered outrage across Britain and sparked endless commentary worldwide. Prince William and his father King Charles III stayed officially silent, but the Daily Beast reported through a source close to William that he felt "completely betrayed" and "hates" his younger brother and sister-in-law. "There's no way back after this," a friend of the prince told the outlet.It's not about trying to destroy the monarchy - it's an attempt to save them from themselves... When you're trying to change the entire institution [of monarchy] and, importantly, the media landscape, it's no small feat. The scale of this challenge is massive, and I need to protect myself - both mentally and emotionally - throughout this process.
Interesting Facts
- In 1991, Prince William was injured while playing golf with a school friend. An errant swing delivered a heavy blow to the future king's head, and he was immediately taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. When Diana heard about the accident, she immediately rushed from London, and Prince Charles arrived from Highgrove. The boy was then transferred to Great Ormond Street, where he was examined by a neurosurgeon. William was diagnosed with a depressed fracture and underwent corrective surgery, receiving 24 stitches.
- As a child, Prince William loved when his mother took him and his brother to the Smiths store on Kensington High Street, near the palace. While royals typically don't carry cash, Diana made sure her sons understood money's value. Their outings started with William dutifully buying school supplies, then they'd catch a movie at the Odeon before heading to McDonald's, where the boys would happily devour Happy Meals and play with the included toys.
- At Eton College, Prince William had his own room with bulletproof glass and a reinforced door. He brought his own bedding from home while Diana hung new curtains to create a cozy space for her son. Above his desk, the boy hung pictures of Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. He actually met Cindy—blushing furiously—when Diana invited the supermodel for tea at the palace. William kept a photo of his parents on his bedside table and looked at it every night before sleep.
- In his early childhood, William was nicknamed Wombat, as he never parted with his beloved toy of this animal. He always kept his beloved stuffed animal right next to his pillow. Later, the prince was given other nicknames such as Big Willy, Pee Willy, Prince of Wails.
