Prince William

Prince William ( Prince William), full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. Born June 21, 1982. Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus, eldest son of the Prince Welsh Charles and his first wife, Princess Diana, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. Second in line to the British throne.

William was first crown prince born outside royal palace- he was born in St. Mary's Hospital in London. He became the object of attention of the paparazzi as soon as he was born: already upon leaving the maternity hospital, Diana and Charles came under the camera lenses of numerous photographers who wanted to be the first to take a photo of the heir.

On August 4, 1982, the Prince was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury Buckingham Palace and received the name William Arthur Philip Louis.

From 1990 to 1995, the prince attended Ludgrove School in Berkshire. At this boarding school, William did everything the same as everyone else, even living in a room with four other students. At school he was captain of the hockey and rugby teams, was an avid swimmer, played football and basketball well, and represented the school in cross-country running marathons on several occasions.

After school, William entered the famous Eton College, where he studied geography, biology and art history. The prince was always a diligent student and received good grades both in core subjects and in education, in addition, he easily found mutual language with peers. Thanks to his sociability, natural tact and modesty with an absolute lack of arrogance, he quickly acquired friends and acquaintances. True, in college he lived in a separate room and used a separate shower - but not out of arrogance, but for safety reasons.

When William's parents divorced in August 1996, the prince took it hard. He was always closer to his mother than to his father, but Princess Diana communicated a lot with the children even after the divorce. Even after the divorce she continued to be considered a member royal family and lived in Kensington Palace, did a lot of charity work.

The big blow in the prince's life came on August 31, 1997, when his mother, Princess Diana, died in a car accident in Paris.

The prince learned about the tragedy only on September 1 from his father, since Prince Charles forbade the children to have a radio in the house. No matter how hard it was for him to cope with the grief that befell him, William found the strength to take part in organizing the funeral. He and his brother, Prince Harry, followed their mother's coffin in funeral procession all the way to Westminster Abbey, where the funeral took place. After the death of his mother, William at will visited a psychoanalyst. During this period, William's long-standing hostility towards the press escalated to the limit: he blamed the paparazzi for his mother's death.

In July 2000, after graduating from Eton College, the prince, like many students, decided to take a break from his studies for a year. He traveled a lot, visited Chile, visited African countries following his mother (Princess Diana was actively involved in charity work), and even worked on an English dairy farm.

After a year, Prince William chose his future path: he decided to enter the prestigious University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and soon became a student. The prince celebrated his coming of age (according to British law, it comes at 21) with an African-style party, which he held at Windsor Castle under the supervision of the queen herself.

Graduate work Prince in 2005 was dedicated coral reefs. He graduated from the university with a very good results(although not with honors), and in this he surpassed his father, a graduate of Cambridge.

According to William himself, he spent four happy year. For some time after graduating from university, William worked and was involved in social activities. useful things, for example, represented Her Majesty in New Zealand, in the cities of Wellington and Auckland at the celebrations dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

In May 2006, Prince William entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was commissioned in December 2006 and joined the Royal Cavalry as a Second Lieutenant.

In this regard, his career is no different from that of his male ancestors, starting with Henry V, since in Great Britain the monarch formally heads the country's armed forces.

In 2009, after graduating from the RAF flight school in Cranwell, he was transferred to the Royal air Force and promoted to the rank of captain (Flight Lieutenant). Currently serving as a rescue helicopter pilot. In December 2011, he participated in the operation to rescue Russian sailors from the sinking ship Swanland.

Prince William's height: 191 centimeters.

Personal life of Prince William:

The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton took place on April 29, 2011 at London's Cathedral Church of St. Peter's in Westminster Abbey. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams officially proclaimed Prince William and Kate Middleton husband and wife, and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain awarded the young couple the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

July 22, 2013 at 16:24 local time with Prince William and the Duchess Cambridge Kate Middleton was born a boy. The newborn's weight was 3.8 kilograms. On July 24, 2013, it was announced that Prince William's first child was named George Alexander Louis.

September 8, 2014 official representative The Royal Household announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child. The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana on May 2, 2015 at 8.34 am in the presence of her husband. A birth weight of 8 lb 3 oz (3.71 kg) was recorded.

September 4, 2017. Although rumors that the couple was expecting a third child appeared much earlier.

Is a Birmingham fan football club Aston Villa. William started supporting Aston Villa while still studying at Eton. He is the President of the Football Association of England.

While studying at school, I was a fan of the American band Linkin Park.

William, as a member of the royal family, has his own coat of arms, based on the national coat of arms of Great Britain, which he received on his 18th birthday.

Four-part shield: in the first and fourth field the coat of arms of England - three golden leopards with azure armament in a scarlet field, in the second field the coat of arms of Scotland - in a golden field with a scarlet double inner border, sprouted with lilies, a scarlet rising lion with azure armament, in the third field the coat of arms of Ireland - a golden harp with silver strings in an azure field. On top of the shield is a silver title with three ends encumbered with a scarlet scallop shell (escalope).

Around the shield is the symbol of the Order of the Garter.

Shield holders: on the right - a British one, crowned with an open crown of the children of the heir to the throne, a lion with a silver title (as in a shield) on his neck; on the left is a Scottish unicorn with the crown of the children of the heir to the throne and a silver title (as in a shield) on its neck.

The shield is crowned with the crown of the children of the heir to the throne with the peer's cap inside.

On top of the crown is a golden royal helmet. Golden mantle lined with ermine. Crest: gold, crowned with the open crown of the children of the heir to the throne, a leopard with a silver title (as in a shield) on the neck, standing on the crown of the children of the heir to the throne.


Prince William is one of the most popular personalities in the world community and modern history Europe. Today, the Duke of Cambridge is a member of the British royal family and the first heir to the throne after his father, which he considers a great gift and a heavy curse. Despite this, the queen's grandson accepted the fact that William is a descendant of royal blood and fulfills his assigned duties with dignity. secular society, which attracts the attention of hundreds of thousands of people.

Childhood and youth

The biography of Prince William begins on June 21, 1982 at St. Mary's Hospital in London. The boy was born into the royal family and became the first heir to the throne after his father. William Arthur Philip Louis was the first-born of his parents and from the moment of the birth of Prince William gained popularity in society, as he became the only member of the royal family born outside the palace.

Since childhood, Prince William was a restless and inquisitive child, and also loved to play pranks and play around. But boundless love for his mother forced William to adolescence settle down and turn from a tomboy into a real prince. Then the boy took up his studies and free time dedicated to books, for which Princess Diana began to jokingly call her son a “thinker.”

A distinctive feature of the education of Prince William and his brother was the boarding school in Berkshire, as the mother categorically insisted that the children be taught not in the traditional isolated style, but on an equal basis with other children. Prince William calls schooling happiest days, since there the boy socialized and learned to communicate with people, which in the future allowed the prince to win the love of the British.

At school, the young man lived in the same room with four other students, with whom he studied reading, arithmetic, history and writing in classes. Also, the prince, whose height is 191 cm, became interested in sports and achieved success in football, hockey, marathon running and athletics.

In 1995, after graduating from school, the Duke of Cambridge entered the prestigious Eton College, where he studied art history, geography and biology in depth. The young man was excellent at specialized subjects, so teachers remembered the heir to the royal throne as a diligent and well-mannered student with a sense of modesty and tact. Thanks to the developed primary school Being sociable, Prince William quickly made friends, but, however, at Eton, William had to live in a separate room, not because of arrogance, but for security reasons.


The first year of a happy and joyful life at college ended with a terrible shock for Prince William. At the end of August 1996, the parents of the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana filed for divorce. The heir to the royal throne was very upset by the breakdown of his parents' relationship, but acted as the main supporter of his mother in the royal family, as he felt boundless love for her.

The divorce of parents was not the last misfortune in the royal family - August 31, 1997 in car accident, which plunged Prince William into deep shock. The young man took the loss hard loved one, so he became uncommunicative, stopped attending classes and completely withdrew into himself.


At that moment, the prince developed a so-called phobia, which was expressed in hatred of journalists, since the royal heir considers “paparazzi”.

To return to normal life and overcome stress, the Duke of Cambridge had to seek help from psychoanalysts who helped William cope with the grief that befell the young man. After which the prince pulled himself together and continued his studies, striving to fulfill cherished dreams deceased mother, who wanted her children to be educated people.

Activity

After graduating from Eton, Prince William took a year-long break from his studies and devoted himself to royal affairs. The young man decided to follow in the footsteps of Princess Diana, so he devoted this time to traveling around the world. The Duke of Cambridge visited many third world countries, where he carried out large-scale charity events, just as his mother did. During this time, William managed to collect his thoughts and decide on the direction for his future education.


Choice royal heir fell on the prestigious University of St. Andrews, located in Scotland, where the young man applied for admission to the general program. Soon William became a university student at the Faculty of Art History. Studying did not bring much pleasure to Prince William, and the young man even wanted to drop out of the university, but after the third year he decided to change his major to geography, which captivated the heir and allowed him to successfully graduate from the university with a prestigious diploma.

Prince William's further activities consisted of performing socially useful deeds on public service. The Duke of Cambridge represented Queen Elizabeth II at ceremonial events in New Zealand to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and also worked in rural estate management and in various financial institutions.


In mid-2006, Prince William entered the Royal Military Academy, which repeated the career of all members of the royal family in the male line. To a young man had to serve in the British regiment of the Royal Horse Guards. In 2009, William graduated from Sandhurst with the rank of junior lieutenant and entered the RAF flight school, from which he graduated with the rank of captain.

During the same period, Prince William was awarded honorary title barrister, making the Duke the sixth member of the royal family to achieve this prestigious title since the 19th century.


But lawyering did not greatly attract the heir to the royal throne, so William decided to devote himself to working in the British rescue service.

The prince was included in the rescue base Royal Air Force, whose forces are localized on the Welsh island of Anglesey. As a rescue helicopter pilot, William had to participate in many special operations, including the operation to rescue Russian sailors from the wrecked ship Swanland.

Personal life

Prince William's personal life is more attractive to society than his military successes. Until 2011, the young man was the most eligible bachelor in the whole world, and after it became known about his engagement to him, he attracted the attention of continental Europe.

WITH future wife The Duke of Cambridge met in 2001 while studying at St. Andrews University. The relationship was quite difficult at first due to close attention and attacks from journalists.


The lovers could not withstand such an “attack”, so in 2007 they decided to separate. At the same time, many were sure that the reason for the separation lay elsewhere: Jessica Craig, whom the prince dated before Kate, reappeared in his life. But three years later, the couple, out of mutual love, decided to renew their relationship, after which the news of the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton spread around the world.

The wedding of the heir to the royal throne took place on April 29, 2011 at St. Peter's Church in London, where thousands of people from all over the world gathered to see wedding ceremony royal couple. According to media reports, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton cost the municipal treasury almost $175 million and became the most discussed event in Europe.

After the Archbishop declared William and Kate husband and wife, Queen Elizabeth II appropriated the young married couple title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their official place of residence was Kensington Palace, which the newlyweds inherited from Princess Diana.


Two years after the wedding of Kate Middleton, who was born on June 22, 2013. Happy parents They named their son George, who, like his father, from birth became one of popular people on the planet.

In 2014 it became known about new pregnancy Duchess of Cambridge, who May 2, 2015. Photos of the young family regularly appear on the covers of leading English and world publications.

After the birth of his children, Prince William decided to leave military service, expressing a desire to devote himself to royal duties and charity. The Duke intends to direct his efforts to the protection and preservation wildlife, which is on the verge of extinction due to catastrophic climate change.

Scandals

In 2012, the name of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was associated with a scandal associated with the appearance of provocative photographs of the newlyweds on vacation. In photographs that appeared on the covers of French publications Closer and La Provence, Kate Middleton was depicted topless. Prince William took the actions of the paparazzi as a personal insult and filed a lawsuit against the reporters.

At the beginning of 2017, a scandalous video of Prince William’s holiday in Switzerland at the resort of Verbier appeared on the YouTube video hosting channel, where the monarch was present without his wife and children in society Australian model Sophie Taylor.


However, representatives of the royal house noted that Kate Middleton should not worry about the possible betrayal of the Duke of Cambridge. The monarch saw the top model only during several parties. Fans of the royal family noted the prince's dancing talents, but there were also critics who called William's body movements senile.

Prince William now

In the middle of the year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge starred in the documentary film “Diana Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy”, created for the ITV channel. In an interview, Prince William told reporters that he tells Prince George and Princess Charlotte about his grandmother every night.

In 2017, it became known that Kate Middleton. The wife of the Duke of Cambridge, as in previous pregnancies, felt unwell in the best possible way, so I was forced to cancel current affairs and meetings.


April 3, 2018 Kate Middleton in an English clinic. The birth took place at St. Mary's Hospital; obstetricians, according to the media, vacated an entire wing for the arrival of the Duchess of Cambridge. The royal couple's third child was named Louis Arthur Charles, and the boy was given the title "His Royal Highness Louis of Cambridge." At first, the heir to the royal family will live in Kensington Palace with his brother and mother.

On May 19, 2018, Kate and William appeared together for the first time after giving birth. William acted as best man, and Kate was again recognized as the most elegant at the celebration. Note that the wives of the princes are on friendly terms.

Prince William is the eldest son of Prince Charles and his first wife Diana, and the grandson of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain. He has many titles and awards, but despite his position in society, according to eyewitnesses, he remains a sincere and easy-to-communicate person. In this article, we will try to highlight Interesting Facts from the life of the second in line heir to the throne of Great Britain.

Childhood

Prince William was born on June 21, 1982 at St. Mary's Hospital, located in one of the districts of London. The baby weighed three kilograms and two hundred grams and showed majestic calm. To this day, William is a symbol of health for his compatriots.

From the age of three the boy began to go to kindergarten Mrs. Minor, located in the western area of ​​London, where he took part in theatrical productions and also learned the basics of vocals.

In junior school, Prince William discovered his aptitude for grammar and English language. In those years, he was seriously interested in sports and at the age of 7 won a special cup for significant success in swimming.

In 1990, when the boy signed the audience log for a London choir concert, his compatriots noted with delight that he was left-handed. As a child, the heir to the throne was a restless, cheerful and inquisitive child.

Youth

In 1995, after completing his studies at school, the heir British throne entered Eton College. The prince studied well and was a diligent student. He made many friends.

Prince William lived alone in a room that did not have a TV or radio. Therefore, he learned about the death of his mother (Princess Diana died in a car accident) with some delay. This terrible news shocked the heir to the English throne. He for a long time I was depressed, stopped communicating with friends and started skipping classes.

To cope with prolonged depression, William began visiting a psychoanalyst. During this time, his hostility towards members of the media intensified.

In 2000, after completing his college studies, Prince William traveled extensively around the world, taking part (like his mother) in charity events in Chile and African countries. According to some reports, he even managed to work on an English dairy farm.

A pause in study helped the heir to the throne do right choice institution where he decided to continue his studies.

Years of university study

Prince William chose the University of St. Andrews, located in Scotland. The young man submitted his documents along with other applicants. In September 2001, he became a student at this educational institution.

At first, William studied at the Faculty of Art History, but in the middle of his studies he changed his specialization to geography. In 2005, the young man graduated with honors from a prestigious university and received a master's degree.

William calls his years at university a happy period in his life. He got big amount friends and most importantly met the love of my life.

Prince William and Kate Middleton (dating story)

The history of Kate and William's relationship confirms that if lovers are destined to be together, this will certainly happen.

William and Kate studied at the same faculty at the University of St. Andrews. The young people met, and mutual sympathy arose between them. The girl easily joined the prince's company. Mutual friends teased them about their feelings for each other, but they did not take them seriously.

The young people went jogging and swimming together, Kate wrote notes for William when he had to make business trips, but at that time she hardly thought that her betrothed would be the most eligible bachelor Great Britain Prince William. Middleton Michael (Kate's father), although he was a respectable wealthy businessman, did not belong to the upper strata of society. The girl’s mother grew up in a simple miner’s family. Kate understood that princes usually married girls from a different bloodline. She even started dating a guy from another faculty.

Development of the novel

Everything changed dramatically in March 2002. William attended a charity fashion show where Kate Middleton showed off a transparent Short dress, which revealed all the charms of her figure. The prince was so impressed that after the show he kissed the girl, despite the fact that her boyfriend was nearby. There was no continuation then, however.

After some time, Prince William and Kate were already living together in the same house. At the beginning of their romance, they carefully hid their relationship from the media, so they moved in with a couple of friends, as if to save money. In reality, few people believed in this version; many guessed that they were a couple in love.

The romance of the young people became known to the press only in April 2004, when the paparazzi tracked down the loving couple on ski resort in Switzerland. Photos of the prince kissing Kate appeared on the pages of the Sun tabloid.

The vicissitudes of relationships

In the summer of 2004, the prince invited Kate to test her feelings for strength. The lovers decided to go to different rooms, but continue to live under one roof. William was the first to decide to renew the relationship and moved the girl’s things back to his room.

For the next three years they were never separated, society was convinced that Prince William and his beloved - perfect couple. When they decided to separate in April 2007, the news shocked society.

The prince became a frequent guest in nightclubs, and Kate abruptly changed her classic wardrobe to a youth one. But two loving hearts were destined to be together, so minor grievances could not destroy their union. The lovers were reunited, and in 2010 the news of their long-awaited engagement spread around the world.

Wedding

On April 29, 2011, William and Kate became... legal spouses. The wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey; after its completion, the wedding cortege proceeded to Buckingham Palace.

Prince William (the photo below indicates this) and his wife went out onto the balcony and kissed there in front of a large audience, already in the status of newly-made spouses.

The ceremony was beautiful and solemn. About two thousand guests were invited to the wedding of the heir to the British throne and Kate Middleton, thousands of people took to the streets of London to pay their respects to the newlyweds. Great amount People all over the world watched the wedding from their television screens.

The wedding of the heir to the British throne was striking in its majesty and wide scope. The eyes of the newlyweds, glowing with happiness, the smiles on their lips were evidence true love, before which position and origin have no power.

Children of Prince William and Kate

At Christmas 2012, William and Kate made it public that they were expecting a new addition to their family. Their son George made his parents happy with his birth on July 22, 2013. The birth of the heir caused universal rejoicing and was celebrated with a grandiose fireworks display in the colors of the national flag of Great Britain.

On May 2, 2015, Duchess Catherine gave her husband another child - a charming daughter, Charlotte.

Currently, the couple, using the example of their family, continue to strengthen the prestige of Great Britain. They lead a busy social life, raise two children, participate in various events and enjoy family happiness.

On June 21, William William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cambridge, or simply put, Prince William, celebrates his 34th birthday. The heir to the British throne is constantly in the spotlight of the press, but choosing the most interesting facts from the prince’s life is not an easy task. ELLE succeeded.

William had a lot of nicknames as a child. Several survive in history: Wills, Big Willie, Pee-Willie, and Wombat and the Prince of Sobs. William was called the Wombat simply because of the similarity of the word with his name, but one can only guess where the “Prince of Sobs” came from.

William's childhood dream was to become a police officer. When he was seven, he told his mother about this. "Why do you want to become a police officer?" - Diana asked. “To keep an eye on you,” the boy replied.

William took Diana's death so hard that he was offered the help of a psychoanalyst. The prince accepted her and visited a specialist for some time.

As a teenager, William dreamed of one of the lead singers of the Spice Girls, Emma Bunton. She was replaced first by Pamela Anderson (whose poster in her image from “Baywatch” adorned the door of the prince’s room), and then by Cindy Crawford. He eventually met Cindy thanks to his mother, Princess Diana, who invited the top model to dinner at Buckingham Palace.

William and Kate Middleton met at the University of St. Andrews, where they both studied. Kate, by the way, was in love with her future husband even before they met - as her college friends recall, there was a photograph of the prince in her room.

The relationship between the future spouses at one time did not go beyond friendship, at least William did not take any steps towards it. Kate decided to take the initiative on her own. No sooner said than done: in March 2002, she took part in a university charity fashion show. William sat in the front row. Middleton, dressed in a transparent dress, paraded in front of a friend. The prince was impressed, the ice was broken, the notorious friendship reached a new level.

Officially, the romance of William and Kate was recorded in the media in 2004. And three years later, the couple separated at the request of the prince, who decided that he was not yet ready for a long-term relationship. Middleton found herself in a rather humiliated position, which was facilitated by the press dubbing her Waity Katie, “Waiting Katie.” However, Kate did not suffer for long: a few months later the prince asked his friend for forgiveness and offered to get back together. According to the media, William was advised to do this by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Kate and William did not want to tell Charles about their engagement until the last minute and did so only two hours before they went to the press with this news. Charles was not offended.

Before asking Kate for her hand in marriage, William carried with him for three weeks wedding ring. In the end, he finally made up his mind and proposed to his girlfriend on the shore of a lake on a mountain slope in Kenya. "I've heard a lot sad stories about how all these marriage proposals ended, but, no, everything went well for us,” he later recalled.

On his last night as a bachelor, William slept only for half an hour. And not because he was worried: all night long the shouts and congratulations of Londoners gathered in the square in front of the palace could be heard from the street. As a result, in the morning, William, according to him, was seized with panic: he imagined that he would definitely stumble somewhere and fall down in front of everyone at the most crucial moment. But everything worked out.

William speaks three languages ​​- French, Irish and for some reason Swahili.

Seven years ago, the prince lost his home - however, only for one night, which he spent in a box under one of the London bridges. This was not a spontaneous rebellion by William, he did not want to shock anyone: sleeping in a box became part of a charity event organized by a foundation that helps the homeless.

The prince is doing well financially: when he turned 30, William received 10 million pounds in his mother’s will.

William loves going to the cinema, but for obvious reasons he doesn’t do it often. However, he was seen at screenings of Bridesmaids, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, and The Avengers.

William is a big fan of sweets. The first on his wish list are ice cream, banana cream, and cold chocolate cake. By the way, the prince demanded the latter for his wedding. As for food in general, William is not much of a gourmet, and neither is Kate: the couple’s favorite dishes are stuffed potato skins, pizza and pasta.

The prince has flaws. First of all, he is a terrible cook. “Trying to impress Kate and plan a fancy dinner, I regretted it every time. Everything in the kitchen was burning and overflowing,” admitted William. And the prince is also a bad dancer and any step on the dance floor is sheer torment for him.

William is very calm about alcohol and can easily do without it. According to rumors, in this sense Kate has gone far ahead.

The prince's favorite car is Land Rover. Very patriotic.