Pocket Royals: Meet Prince William!

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is second in line to the British throne. Born in 1982 to Prince Charles and Princess Diana, William is affectionately called “Wills” by the press. Diana wanted her children to have a wider range of experiences than other royal children, and famously took them to Disney World and McDonald’s as well as homeless shelters and clinics. William went to school at Eton College and excelled in football and water polo before taking a gap year in Belize, Africa and Chile with the British Army. In 2001 he enrolled at the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland, studying art history and later geography. He played on the university’s polo team and was commonly known as “Steve” to detract eavesdropping journalists. This is where he met Kate Middleton, who he married in 2011. When the couple received over 60,000 pieces of fan mail celebrating their union, William ensured that everyone who provided a return address received a reply.

After university, William worked in the private workforce, working in land management at the Chatsworth House estate and interning at HSBC, a large banking firm. William joined the British Army in 2005, wanting to participate in active service, but he was eventually barred from doing so due to safety concerns. Instead he underwent training in the Royal Navy and Air Force, later acting as a helicopter pilot for the RAF’s search and rescue troops. Though a long-term military career could never be in the cards for the Prince, he excelled in his military pursuits and his fellow soldiers nicknamed him “Billy the Fish.” His RAF active service ended in 2013, but a year later he announced he would work as a full-time air ambulance pilot for the East Anglican Air Ambulance, donating his salary to the Air Ambulance charity.

Throughout his adult life, William has worked on behalf of the British crown. Since his youth he had accompanied his mother and father on diplomatic visits around the world, and he continues such work to this day with his own family. Kate and William have two children: Prince George and Princess Charlotte, born in 2013 and 2015 respectively. He also continues his parents’ work with charitable foundations, including HIV/AIDS organizations, environmental causes, medical research institutions and wildlife conservation charities. In his personal life, William enjoys football and polo as well as motorcycling, a hobby jointly enjoyed by his brother Harry.

Get your own printable Prince William paper doll here.

BARTLETT AND WILLIAM

Playwright Mike Bartlett fictionalized the royal family for his “future history play” King Charles III. Played by Christopher McLinden, Bartlett’s William is a loyal son who wants the best for his family. Like his father, torn between duty and personal belief, William firmly believes that the crown must come first, though he understands the hardships that follow.