PRINCE WILLIAM
G'day folks,
Welcome to one of the more popular members of the royal family. Prince William is the eldest
son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales, and is next in line for the
British throne after his father.
Synopsis
Prince
William is the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales and is
the next in line to the British throne after his father. 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. William served in the Royal Air Force and supports numerous
charities. On April 29, 2011, he made international headlines when he married
his college sweetheart, Kate Middleton, at Westminster Abbey. The couple's son
Prince George, third in line to the throne, was born on July 22, 2013. Their
second child, a daughter, was born on May 2, 2015.
Prince
William was born Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor on June 21, 1982,
in London, England, the eldest son of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Charles,
Prince of Wales. His official title is "His Royal Highness Prince William
of Wales."
As he is directly in line to the British throne after his father, Charles, he spends a good deal of time at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth, who is very concerned with his upbringing and career development.
Affected by both his parents' divorce in 1996 and his mother's tragic death in 1997, the tall and handsome young William publicly stated his dislike for the press, and expressed discomfort with the growing attention he received from love-struck adolescent girls. William gives the impression of being a well-mannered, responsible and mature young man who shows a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the royal family, fully aware of the role he is to play in the future as the King of England.
Military Service and Philanthropy
Upon his
graduation from Eton, William took a break from his studies to visit South
America and Africa. He then attended Scotland's St Andrew's University, where
he received a degree in geography in 2005. Following in the footsteps of his
younger brother, Prince Harry, William joined the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst as a military cadet and received his commission as a second
lieutenant in the Household Cavalry in December 2006. In 2008, he was appointed
to be a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He is now
training to be a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.
Along
with his military career, William supports numerous charities, including serving
as patron to Centrepoint, an organization for homeless youth, and the Tusk
Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation of African wildlife. In 2007,
William and his brother Harry hosted a special concert to celebrate their late
mother and raise funds for charities that Princess Diana supported during her
life as well as charities supported by the princes.
Kate Middleton
As the
future king of England, William's personal life has been the subject of much
media attention. He had been romantically linked to Kate Middleton; the couple
met while attending St. Andrew's University. Rumors of a possible engagement
swirled around the pair for months, but to the surprise of royal watchers, the
couple announced that they were splitting up in April 2007. However, in the
time since that announcement, Middleton had attended several public and
official events, as well as traveled on vacation with Prince William.
Speculation about a wedding engagement between Prince William and Kate
Middleton continued to swell.
On November
16, 2010, it was announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged.
Prince William had popped the question in October during a holiday in Kenya,
using his mother's engagement ring. It was also stated that the couple would
live in North Wales, where Prince William is stationed with the Royal Air
Force. Middleton is not of royal or aristocratic lineage, which is a break from
longtime royal tradition.
On
December 3, 2012, after almost a year of baby rumors and much speculation, St.
James Palace officially announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were
pregnant with their first child.
Prince
William's child with Middleton will be the Queen's third great-grandchild and
will be the third in line, next to Prince Charles and Prince William, to become
heir to the throne.
"Their
Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce
that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," the official statement
confirmed the pregnancy. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of
Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families
are delighted with the news."
Royal Births
Anticipating
the arrival of Middleton and Prince William's first born, international media
outlets camped out in front of St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington at the
beginning of July 2013. St. Mary's was the same hospital where Princess Diana
gave birth to Prince William and later Prince Harry.
On July
22, 2013, the palace announced Middleton had given birth to a baby boy,
weighing in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces, at 4:24 p.m. local time. Two days later,
the baby's name was revealed: George Alexander Louis, who will be known as
"His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge."
Nearly
two months after his son's birth, Prince William announced that he would be
leaving the military. He has decided to focus on his royal responsibilities and
his charity work. According to BBC News, Prince William will devote much of his
energy to wildlife conservation. He explained that "The threats to our
natural heritage are extensive, but I believe that this collaboration of the
best minds in conservation will provide the impetus for a renewed commitment
and action to protect endangered species and habitats for future
generations."
While
still maintaining his royal duties, Prince William announced in 2014 that he
would be taking a position as a pilot for Bond Air Services, an air ambulance
company. He started training for the position in 2015. With this new role,
Prince William is believed to be the first British royal heir to work in the
private sector. His salary will be donated to charity.
Prince William and the Duchess
of Cambridge welcomed their second child on May 2, 2015. The Duchess gave birth
to a daughter, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, weighing 8 pounds,
3 ounces, at 8:34 a.m. local time at St Mary's Hospital. The baby is the
Queen's fifth great-grandchild and the fourth in line to the throne after her
brother Prince George.
Clancy's Comment: What a shame that most public figures, especially politicians, are not as genuine and likeable as this young bloke and his brother, Harry. Both of them are charming young men.
I'm ...
No comments:
Post a Comment