The Royal Library / Royal Profiles
Prince William
From his family life with Catherine to Earthshot and homelessness, explore the Prince of Wales’s story.
Childhood in the Royal Family
William was born on June 21, 1982, the first child of the then Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. He was 15 when Diana died following a car crash in Paris in 1997.
University and Meeting Catherine
William attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he met Catherine Middleton. He initially studied History of Art before changing to Geography and graduated in 2005.
Military and Flying Career
After university, William trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and later served as an RAF search-and-rescue helicopter pilot. After leaving the Armed Forces, he worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
William and Catherine
William and Catherine married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Their children are Prince George, born in 2013, Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, and Prince Louis, born in 2018.
Becoming Prince of Wales
When Charles became King in September 2022, William automatically became Duke of Cornwall. King Charles announced the following day that William would become Prince of Wales. Catherine consequently became Princess of Wales.
The Earthshot Prize
William founded The Earthshot Prize in 2020 to identify and help scale solutions to major environmental challenges. The initiative focuses on protecting nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, reducing waste and addressing climate change.
Tackling Homelessness
In 2023, the Royal Foundation launched Homewards, a five-year program working with six UK locations on approaches intended to make homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated.
Conservation and Mental Health
William’s public work also includes conservation, efforts against illegal wildlife trafficking and mental-health initiatives, including a particular interest in the wellbeing of emergency-service personnel.
What Does the Prince of Wales Do?
William supports the King through official engagements in Britain and overseas while carrying out his own program of public work. The Prince of Wales does not hold the sovereign’s constitutional role as Head of State.
Will Prince William Become King?
William is first in line to the throne. If he succeeds his father, he would become monarch immediately upon the end of the previous sovereign’s reign. His future regnal name should not be treated as settled in advance. For William’s place among other heirs, read our line of succession guide.