On this day in history, June 21, 1982, Prince William was born at St. Mary's Hospital in London.
William Arthur Philip Louis was born at 9:03 p.m. and weighed just over seven pounds, according to the BBC.
His official title at birth was "His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales."
Prince William is the oldest son of Diana, Princess of Wales, and His Majesty King Charles III, and is the heir apparent to the British throne.
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After Prince William’s birth, the royal couple showed off the future king to the public.
"To introduce Prince William to the world after giving birth to him in the Lindo Wing [of the hospital], Princess Diana wore a green and white polka dot dress," Town and Country magazine reported.
The occasion was memorable for the proud new parents. "He has the good fortune not to look like me," King Charles III said at the time of William’s birth, according to multiple sources.
Prince William’s entry into the world saw his mother breaking royal protocol and tradition. Princess Diana gave birth in St. Mary's Hospital, making him the first direct heir to the throne to be born outside palace walls, according to Hello! Magazine.
The couple's second son, Prince Harry, was born on Sept. 15, 1984, in London.
Prince William’s parents announced a marital separation in 1992, and were formally divorced on August 28, 1996.
In the year following the divorce, on Aug. 31, 1997, Princess Diana was killed along with her companion, Dodi Fayed, in a car accident in Paris.
Authorities determined the accident happened as the pair attempted to escape paparazzi photographers, according to multiple sources.
Prince William was only 15 when his mother died.
"He was strongly affected by his parents' divorce in 1996 and his mother's tragic death in 1997 and expressed discomfort at the growing attention he received as he reached adulthood," said Biography.com.
Prince William chose to study art history at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Before starting his studies in 2001, "William took a gap year to visit Chile, Kenya and New Zealand, carrying out community and conservation work," said Hello! Magazine.
While attending college, he met Kate Middleton, who later became one of his housemates.
On April 29, 2011, Prince William captured international headlines when he married Middleton at Westminster Abbey, noted Biography.com.
The royal couple’s first child, Prince George, second in line to the throne, was born on July 22, 2013. Their second child, daughter Princess Charlotte, was born on May 2, 2015, and their third child, Prince Louis, was born on April 23, 2018.
The family's official residence is Kensington Palace.
"His Royal Highness undertakes a number of charitable activities and projects and carries out public and official duties in support of The King, in the U.K. and overseas," according to the official website of the British Royal Family.
Prince William also completed seven-and-a-half years of full-time military service, according to BritishHeritage.com.
He initially completed training as an officer, and eventually was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals Regiment. He earned his wings as a pilot by completing pilot training at Royal Air Force College Cranwell in the British military, that site also notes.
Prince William went on to complete helicopter training in order to become a full-time pilot with the Search and Rescue Force, according to BritishHeritage.com.
It’s widely reported that Prince William ranks among the most popular figures of the Royal Family, known for his ease and relatability — traits that his mother also possessed, said Britannica.
The heir to the British throne has sought ways to his promote his mother’s legacy in the years since her death.
In 2007, Prince William and Prince Harry organized a London memorial service to mark the 10-year anniversary of her passing, and both her sons commissioned a statue of Princess Diana that was unveiled on the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2021, the same site also says.
Prince William and Kate, The Princess of Wales, direct charitable activities through The Royal Foundation, which mobilizes leaders, businesses and people to address challenges in society.
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In 2020, Prince William launched The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize and platform to discover, award, celebrate and scale groundbreaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet, notes the official website of the British Royal Family.
The first awards ceremony took place in London in October 2021.
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, King Charles III was crowned on May 6, 2023.
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Prince William is now first in line to the British throne.
As heir to the throne, Prince William’s main duties are to support the King in his royal commitments, according to the BBC.
