From a young prince with a complicated relationship with golf clubs and rugby
matches to the heir apparent to the British throne, Prince William's life has taken dramatic
leaps forward — and so have his looks! When you're born into the most famous royal
family in the world, your childhood is probably going to look a little different than most.
"How's the baby now?" "He's in marvelous form."
Because Prince William is a direct heir to the throne, his childhood was
especially filled with royal training and public appearances, though he took pretty well to it.
Unlike King Charles III, who was left at home when Queen Elizabeth II and
Prince Philip would go on commonwealth tours, William was along for the ride
with his father and Princess Diana — he even went with them on a tour to New
Zealand when he was less than a year old. By 1984, two years after William's birth,
Prince Harry was born and joined the family on tours and royal duties at a young age as well.
Because Diana was determined to raise her sons as normally as possible,
she opted to send them to Wetherby School in Kensington, as opposed to bringing in
a governess to teach them in the palace. According to History Extra, William also
recalled how "informal" his mother was in a documentary that commemorated her death, noting:
"She understood that there was a real life outside of palace walls."
This "real life" took place in the form of vacations, days out, and also trips to visit sick
people, which Diana considered to be an important glimpse into life outside of the royal bubble.
You may have noticed that Prince William has a scar on his forehead
just above his eyebrow. This mark is the result of a childhood injury with
an interesting origin story. During an interview for CBBC's Newsround,
William opened up about how he earned the scar during a game of golf in 1991, saying,
"Yeah, we were on a putting green and the next thing you know there
was a seven-iron and it came out of nowhere and it hit me in the head."
AP News reported that the injury was so severe that William had to undergo surgery
due to a skull fracture, so it seems that his golfing buddy hit him pretty hard. However,
a spokesperson from William's school shared that there was no ill intent involved.
On August 31, 1997, an immense tragedy rocked the royal family: Princess Diana died in a car
accident. Though she and the then-Prince Charles had officially divorced the year before, her death
came as a shock to people across the world, as many publicly mourned Diana, who had famously been
dubbed "the people's princess." While the public mourned Diana, there were two people who arguably
mourned her more so than anyone else: Prince William and Prince Harry. At the time of Diana's
death, William was only 15 years old and Harry was only 12. Though the young princes had to put on
brave faces for their mother's funeral, there was plenty of mourning that went on behind the scenes.
In the HBO documentary Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy,
William and Harry opened up about losing their mother at such young ages. In particular,
William expressed how hard it was to cope with her being gone. William explained in the doc:
"It's like an earthquake has just run through the house and through your life and everything."
"Your mind is completely split."
Despite such a loss, William also used his late mother's strength
to get through his grief. William went on to add in the documentary:
"Slowly, you try and rebuild your life, and you try and understand what's happened,
and I kept saying to myself that, you know, my mother would not want me to be upset."
As a teen, Prince William attended England's exclusive Eton College. Eton College is an
important part of England's history, as it was founded by King Henry VI in 1440
and was originally intended to provide "70 poor boys" with a high-quality education,
according to its website. The school's historical significance was likely a motivating factor in the
royal family's decision to enroll both William and Harry. While Eton College provided William
with a top-notch education, it turns out that his peers sometimes gave him a hard time.
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, actor Eddie Redmayne revealed
that he attended Eton College with William, and the prince was targeted during rugby games.
"I always felt a bit sorry for him because basically any school you played, all they
wanted to do was tackle Prince William in order that they could say 'I tackled Prince William.'"
Despite being bothered by his starstruck peers, William seemed to enjoy his time at
Eton College. Photos show that the prince spent time cooking and studying in on-campus housing.
Prince William's time at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was part of his duties
as a British male royal heir. He attended the military school after graduating from Scotland's
St. Andrews University. William reflected on his days as a student when visiting the Royal
Military Academy for the annual Sovereign's Day Parade in 2018. During his stop at the academy,
William issued awards and gave a speech. There may have been some surprise among students when
they discovered that the prince could relate to their experiences. William said during his speech:
"It is almost 12 years ago to the day that I stood where you are."
William then jokingly went on to add:
"I remember the deep sense of pride that came from passing out of one
of the finest military academies in the world as well as wanting a short
speech delivered so I could march off the parade square that little bit quicker!"
In 2009, Prince William served in both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy as part of
his royal duties. He became a search-and-rescue pilot and participated in a total of 156 search
and rescue operations after earning the title of Flight Lieutenant Wales.
In a statement shared to the royal family's website in September 2010, William stated:
"I am really delighted to have completed the training course with my fellow students.
The course has been challenging, but I have enjoyed it immensely. I absolutely love flying,
so it will be an honor to serve operationally with the Search and Rescue Force [...]"
This was just after William had completed his training, and he went on to serve in
the military for over seven years. William later used the skills he learned in training
to take on a role as a helicopter pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. He
stepped down from this position in 2017 and later opened up about the life-changing job
in an editorial piece he wrote for the Eastern Daily Press. The prince wrote:
"I have watched as incredibly skilled doctors and paramedics have saved people's lives. These
experiences have instilled in me a profound respect for the men and women who serve in our
emergency services, which I hope to continue to champion even as I leave the profession."
While many people can't imagine Prince William without his wife, Kate Middleton,
by his side, the royal couple were once merely strangers who attended the same
university. As any royal fan knows, the two would date for years before becoming
engaged and eventually marrying in one of the most iconic weddings of all time.
William and Kate both attended the University of St. Andrews after enrolling in 2001,
and the two began dating and were even roommates at one point. After a brief breakup in 2007,
the couple got back together, and by 2010, they announced their engagement. By 2011,
William and Kate married in a grand, extravagant, and very public wedding at Westminster Abbey.
After their marriage, Queen Elizabeth II granted them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,
thus solidifying their status as one of the most famous couples in the world.
After Prince William and Kate Middleton wed in 2011, fans of the royal family eagerly
anticipated when the couple might start a family. On July 22, 2013,
William and Kate's first child, Prince George, was born to celebrations across the world. In 2015,
Princess Charlotte joined them, and in 2018, the couple rounded out their family with Prince Louis.
As any parent knows, having children is a life-changing event, and it definitely
affected William. During a discussion for the BBC documentary Football, Prince William and our
Mental Health, William got candid about fatherhood and how much his kids have changed his life:
"Having children is the biggest life-changing moment, it really is."
Fortunately, William and Kate have adapted to parenthood together,
making it easier on them both. The prince explained:
"Me and Catherine particularly, we support each other and we go
through those moments together and we kind of evolve and learn together."
The death of Queen Elizabeth II changed Prince William's life. William opened
up about the life-changing loss in a touching statement, writing:
"So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of [the queen's] historic reign. I,
however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly
grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade."
Prince William took on many new titles following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Not only is
he now the heir apparent, the first in line to become the next British monarch,
he was also named the Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles III,
making Kate Middleton the Princess of Wales. A statement from Buckingham Palace revealed that
the husband and wife are taking steps to live up to their new titles. The statement read:
"The prince and princess look forward to celebrating Wales's proud history
and traditions as well as a future that is full of promise. They will seek to live up
to the proud contribution that members of the Royal family have made in years past."