Prince William, the elder of the two sons of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is the third born grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Prince William is second in the line of succession to the British throne, behind only his father.
Prince William's full title is HRH Prince William of Wales.
Prince William's cousin Peter Phillips, the first son of Princess Anne, was very supportive of Prince William and Prince Harry after the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The offices of Prince William's staff have been housed in St. James's Palace since January 2009.
Birth and Parents
Prince William was born on June 21st 1982 at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London. He is the first child of Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince William was christened, William Arthur Philip Louis in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace by Dr. Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury on the 4th of August, 1982.
University Degree
Prince William enrolled in a degree course in Art History in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland, using the name of William Wales. The Prince changed his main subject to Geography, and graduated with a Scottish Master of Arts degree with upper second class honours in Geography.
Prince William began dating Kate Middleton, who had been one of his University flat mates, in 2003.
Duke of Cambridge
On April 29, 2011, the day of Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton, Queen Elizabeth II announced that he had been named Duke of Cambridge, and that Kate Middleton would be known as Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge after the ceremony.
Engagement to Kate Middleton
On November 16th, 2010, Prince Charles announced the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The Prince proposed to Kate Middleton on the 19th of October, 2010, on a trip to Kenya, at Lewa game reserve.
The engagement ring given by Prince William to Kate Middleton was the 18 carat sapphire engagement ring originally given by Prince Charles to Diana, Princess of Wales.
The couple have chosen Westminster Abbey for their wedding ceremony on April 29, 2011 because of its “staggering beauty, its 1,000 years of royal history, and its relative intimacy despite its size.”
Wedding to Kate Middleton
Prince Harry, Prince William's younger brother, was his best man, and Philippa Middleton, Kate Middleton's sister, was her maid of honour.
Prince William's pageboys were:
- William Lowther-Pinkerton, the son of the Prince's private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton
- Tom Pettifer, son of Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who was nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry
Kate Middleton's bridesmaids were:
- Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, The Countess of Wessex
- The Honourable Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the daughter of Viscount Linley, and granddaughter of the late Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
- Grace van Custem, the daughter of Prince William's friend Hugh van Custem
- Eliza Lopes, the granddaughter of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Military Career
Prince William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an Officer Cadet in January 2006.
Prince William was commissioned as an Army officer in front of Her Majesty The Queen at Sandhurst in December 2006, and joined the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals) as a Second Lieutenant.
In January 2009, Prince William transferred his commission to the RAF and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. In January 2010, he graduated from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury, as a pilot with the Search and Rescue Force.
In 2010, on the 26th of January, Prince William transferred to the Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley on Anglesey, where he received training on the Sea King helicopter, graduating on September 17th 2010.
Prince William is staying at RAF Valley, Anglesey, for his operational tour with No. 22 Squadron.
Charities and Patronages
In 2005, Prince William took on his first Patronage as Patron of Centrepoint, the UK’s leading homelessness charity, a role his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, had previously held.
Prince William is also Patron of a number of other organizations, including the Tusk Trust, a UK based conservation charity based which aims to secure a peaceful co-existence for Africa’s wildlife and its people, the Football Association, and Mountain Rescue England and Wales.
In 2009, Prince William and Prince Harry created their own Foundation to focus on supporting issues that they both care about. The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry has three main aims:
- helping young people in society
- raising awareness and support for servicemen and women
- developing sustainable models of living in the light of climate change and dwindling natural resources
Official Residence and Contact Address
Prince William's Official Residence is Clarence House, which is situated within the environs of St. James's Palace in London. Clarence House was previously occupied by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
Prince William's official contact address is:
Clarence House, London SW1A 1BA
Prince Harry and Catherine, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will switch their Official London Residence to an apartment in Kensington Palace after it has been refurbished. The apartment was previously occupied by Princess Margaret, the Queen's late sister.
Sources
Mark Tibbits - A professional writer and educator who writes about Astrology, South Asia/China, the UK, the British Royal Family, and Religion.
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