From birth, Prince William was set to be the future King of England. Following in the footsteps of his father, King Charles, and the monarchs before him, he has dedicated his life to public service while carving his own journey toward the throne. Read on as we explore photos of Prince William young, from his baby photos and family holidays to fulfilling his royal duties.
Prince William (born William Arthur Philip Louis) was born in St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England, on June 21, 1982. He is the eldest son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana. Prince William has a younger brother, Prince Harry, who was born on September 15, 1984. As a member of the British royal family, William is first in line to the throne.
When he was nine months old, William accompanied his parents on their 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Princess Diana took a nurturing approach to raising Prince William and Prince Harry; she wanted them to have as normal an upbringing as possible despite their royal status. She often took the boys to homeless shelters, hospitals, and AIDS clinics to teach them about social issues and helping others.
After his parents divorced, William was very protective of his mother. “Both boys lived through what was going on on a daily basis,” said Andrew Morton, Diana’s biographer, in 2017. Charles and Princess Diana remained devoted parents until the Princess of Wales’ tragic death in 1997. After his mother’s passing, William spoke about the devastating loss of his mum. “Never being able to say the word ‘Mummy’ again in your life sounds like a small thing. However, for many, including me, it’s now really just a word — hollow and evoking only memories,” William wrote in the Daily Mail newspaper, according to CNN.
William attended the prestigious Eton College, where he studied geography, biology, and art history. Before starting university at St. Andrews in Scotland, he took a gap year to travel through Kenya, the Indian Ocean island of Rodrigues, and volunteer in Patagonia, South America. While at St. Andrews, he met his future wife, Kate Middleton. The pair were friends for a year before they started dating.
“I think you said I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off. [I was] feeling very shy about meeting you,” Kate said to William years later in their engagement interview, according to People. On November 16, 2010, the couple announced their engagement to the world after eight years of dating (and a brief breakup in April 2007). William proposed while the pair vacationed in Kenya with friends a few weeks before the interview. “As every guy out there will know, it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. So I was planning it and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful,” William recalled.
Prince William and Kate officially married in a royal ceremony in April 2011. Since then, they’ve welcomed three children: Prince George (age 10), Princess Charlotte (age 8), and Princess Louis (age 5). Following Queen Elizabeth’s death and Charles’ ascension to the throne, Prince William and Catherine Middleton now hold the titles of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
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Prince William young
Prince William has spent his entire life in the public spotlight. From being known as the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles to becoming a husband and father of three, let’s take a trip down memory lane with photos captured throughout the future Monarch’s life.
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April 23, 1983: Prince William with Princess Diana and Prince Charles
Image Credit: Getty Images So cute! Here is baby Prince William posing for photos with his parents, Diana Princess of Wales and Charles Prince of Wales, during the Royal Tour of New Zealand on April 23, 1983.
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September 15, 1984: Prince William visits Prince Harry at the hospital
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William is seen here with his nanny, Barbara Barnes, after visiting his newborn brother, Prince Harry, on September 15, 1984, in London, England.
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October 4, 1985: Prince William with the Princess of Wales and Prince Harry
Image Credit: Getty Images In this iconic photo, the Princess of Wales poses with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, during a private photo session at the piano in Kensington Palace.
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February 6, 1986: Prince William at the Smith’s Lawn Windsor
Image Credit: Getty Images Four-year-old Prince William is photographed at Smith’s Lawn Windsor to watch his father, the Prince of Wales, play in a polo match.
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June 11, 1988: Prince William waving to onlookers
Image Credit: Getty Images On June 11, 1988, in London, England, Prince William is seen waving to onlookers while riding in a carriage with his mother, Princess Diana, to the Trooping the Colors ceremony.
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June 1, 1991: Prince William at Windsor Great Park
Image Credit: Getty Images We absolutely love how happy Prince William and his late mother, Princess Diana, looked while enjoying refreshments at Windsor Great Park in June 1991.
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July 6, 1991: Prince William at Wimbledon
Image Credit: Getty Images Our hearts are bursting! Here’s another photo of the Princess of Wales and Prince William, this time applauding in the Royal Box on Centre Court at Wimbledon, as Steffi Graf won the Women’s Singles Championship.
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August 1, 1992: Prince William goes karting
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William stops for photos while karting at Buckmore Park’s Playscape on August 1, 1992, in Chatham, England.
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February 18, 1994: Prince William on a skiing holiday
Image Credit: Getty Images During their annual skiing holiday, Prince William and his father, Prince Charles, are photographed sitting on a chair lift on February 18, 1994.
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September 7, 1995: Prince William at Eton School
Image Credit: Gett Images Here is 12-year-old Prince William cracking a smile while leading his classmates to lessons on the first day of school at Eton.
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July 19, 1996: Prince William at Guards Polo
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William is spotted with his royal bodyguard at Guards Polo, Smith’s Lawn, where he watched his father Prince Charles play in a polo match.
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September 6, 1997: Prince William at his mother’s funeral
Image Credit: Getty Images At his mother Princess Diana’s funeral, 15-year-old Prince William and his uncle Earl Spencer are pictured in front of Westminister Abbey before the service begins.
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March 25, 1998: Prince William at the Burnaby South Secondary School in Canada
Prince William shakes hands with people as he arrives for a visit at the Burnaby South Secondary School in Canada in March 1998, a few months after his mother’s death.
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July 26, 1999: Prince William at a photo call at Highgrove
Image Credit: Getty Images To celebrate learning how to drive, Prince William is photographed stepping out of a vehicle at Highgrove.
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August 4, 1999: Prince William at Clarence House
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William is pictured standing behind his father, Prince Charles, as they gather outside Clarence House for The Queen Mother’s 99th Birthday.
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April 11, 2000: Prince William skiing at the Klosters
Image Credit: Getty Images A handsome Prince William resembles his late mother while on a skiing holiday at the Swiss resort of Klosters. He was joined by the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry.
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September 29, 2000: Prince William before his gap year
Image Credit: Getty Images Strike a pose! Two years before starting St. Andrews University, the 18-year-old Prince was photographed outside of his home near Tetbury, South West England, before starting his gap year.
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March 28, 2002: Prince William with Prince Charles
Image Credit: Getty Images Here, Prince William is pictured with his father, Prince Charles, on their annual ski trip to the Klosters on March 28, 2022.
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June 21, 2003: Prince William at the Chakravarty Cup
Image Credit: Getty Images The prince celebrated his big 21st birthday by playing in the Chakravarty Cup at Beaufort Polo Club in the UK. The annual event raises funds and sponsorships for charities The Royal Family supports.
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November 6, 2004: Prince William attends the wedding of Ed Van Cutsem and Lady Tamara Grosvenor
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William and his brother Harry attended the wedding of his close friend, Ed Van Cutsem, who married Lady Tamara Grosvenor at Chester Cathedral on November 6, 2004, in Chester, England.
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January 7, 2005: Prince William volunteers for tsunami aid
Image Credit: Getty Images On January 7, 2005, Prince William helped pack items at a Red Cross depot destined for the Maldives after a tsunami hit the archipelago in December.
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June 23, 2005: Prince William graduates from St. Andrews
Image Credit: Getty Images He’s a newly grad! Prince William is photographed leaving his graduation ceremony from St. Andrews University, where he met his now-wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales. The royal family, including the Queen, attended the special day.
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January 8, 2006: Prince William before starting military training
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William joins his brother, Prince Harry, in attending four weeks of Army Officer training at the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. William was officially commissioned as a British Army officer in December 2006.
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May 13, 2007: Prince William at the Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Association Annual Parade
On May 13, 2007, Prince William and his brother are photographed at the Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Association Annual Parade In Hyde Park, London.
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April 11, 2008: Prince William and Kate Middleton attend his graduation ceremony at RAF Cranwell
Image Credit: Getty Images While they were dating, Prince William and Kate Middleton were seen smiling at his graduation ceremony from RAF Cranwell on April 11, 2008, in Cranwell, England.
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June 16, 2008: Prince William at 660th Anniversary Service of Order Of The Garter
Image Credit: Getty Images Prince William stands beside his father, Prince Charles, before participating in the 660th Anniversary Service of the Order Of The Garter. That day, William became the 1000th Knight of the Garter, the senior and oldest British Order of Chivalry.
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June 18, 2009: Prince William and Price Harry visit RAF Shawbury
Prince William and his brother Prince Harry posed for photographers during a military helicopter training course at RAF Shawbury on June 18, 2009.
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January 20, 2010: Prince William at the Sydney Opera House
Image Credit: Getty Images On the second day of Prince William’s three-day visit to Australia, the royal was pictured outside the iconic Sydney Opera House. This marked the second time William visited Australia (the first was at the age of nine months with his parents in 1983).
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April 29, 2011: Prince William and Kate Middleton get married
Image Credit: Getty Images Wedding bells are ringing! Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, are photographed smiling after their marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London.