Prince William was born on June 21, 1982 at St. Mary’s Hospital, in London, England to Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales. William was baptized in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, on August 4, 1982 by the Archbishop of Canterbury. William’s godparents were Constantine II, the former King of Greece, Princess Alexandra, the Duchess of Westminster, Lady Susan Hussey, Lord Romsey and Sir Laurens van der Post. As a male grandchild of the reigning monarch and the son of the Prince of Wales, William is officially styled "His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales," however, William is often affectionately called Wills by the public, and Wombat by the Royal Family and William’s close friends.
The Childhood of Prince William
At the age of seven, William told his mother that he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up so he could protector her. To this his younger brother, Prince Harry, then aged five, responded "Oh, no you can’t. You’ve got to be King." On March 1, 1991, William made his first official public appearance when he accompanied his parents to Cardiff, in Wales on an official royal visit. During the visit, William was taken to Llandaff Cathedral where he signed the visitor’s book. On June 3, 1991 William was admitted to the Royal Berkshire Hospital after being hit on the side of the head with a golf club. As a result of the incident, William suffered from a depressed skull fracture and he was operated on at the Great Ormond Street Hospital. The injury and the ensuing operation left William with a permanent scar.
As William and Harry grew up, their mother, Diana, the Princess of Wales and the so-called People’s Princess took steps to ensure that they did not have the same sheltered upbringing as other Royal children. As a result, William and Harry went everywhere from McDonalds, Disney World and Niagara Falls to AIDS clinics and homeless shelters. As the 1990s wore on the marriage of Charles and Diana became increasingly rocky. In 1996, Charles and Diana finally divorced. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in September, 1997. Charles, William and Harry were staying at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the time and Charles waited until the early hours of the next morning to tell them that their mother had died. On the day of Diana’s funeral, William walked behind his mother’s funeral cortege from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, along with Prince Charles, Prince Harry, his grandfather, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his maternal uncle, the Earl of Spencer, who was also Diana’s brother.
Prince William's Education
From the time that William was very young, he attended a series of independent schools beginning with Jane Mynors’ nursery school and then Wetherby School, both located in London. When William was a little older, he attended Ludgrove School and received private tutoring during summer holidays. In 1995, William took the entrance exam for Eton College and passed. At Eton, William studied geography, biology and art history. He also played soccer and took up water polo. The decision to send William to Eton was seen as a break with the royal tradition of sending royal children to Gordonstoun, which Prince Charles had half jokingly called "Colditz in kilts," in reference to the school’s strict regime, its remote location in the Scottish Highlands and the notorious Nazi prison in Colditz Castle during World War II. In addition to Prince Charles, William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, along with his uncles, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew all went to Gordonstoun.
As a result of the decision to send William to Eton, he followed in the footsteps of Diana’s father and brother. At the same time, it was agreed that William would be allowed to pursue his studies out of the media spotlight in exchange for regular updates on his progress. John Wakeham, then the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission later said, "Prince William is not an institution; nor is he a soap star; nor a football hero. He is a child; in the next few years, perhaps the most important and sometimes painful part of his life, he will grow up and become a man."
Following the completion of his studies at Eton, William took a year off. During this time, he travelled to Belize, where he went on manoeuvres with the British Army. William also taught children in southern Chile for ten weeks as part of a Raliegh International program. During this time, he shared local chores with the other young teachers and volunteered as a guest DJ at the local radio station.
In 2001, William returned to Britain where he enrolled as a student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In the wake of William’s enrollment, the number of applications rose dramatically. Most of the applicants were young women hoping to meet Prince William, who was becoming one of the world’s most eligible young bachelors. In spite of the attention from the press and the public, William began to study for a degree in art history, although he eventually changed his major to geography. William eventually graduated with a Scottish Master of Arts degree in geography. While William was at university, he continued to play water polo and represented Scotland during the Celtic Nations Tournament in 2004.
From the time that William was a year old, he began accompanying his parents on official visits. William went on his first Royal Tour in 1983 with Charles and Diana, to Australia and New Zealand. At the time, the decision was considered to be highly unusual. Not only was William very young, but Charles and William were first and second in line for the throne and were travelling together. All through his childhood William continued to accompany his parents on royal visits. After he graduated from university, William began to undertake additional duties of his own, as well as entering the private workforce. He interned at HSBC and worked in land management for Chatsworth House.
Sources
Biography of Prince William. People Magazine. Retrived Apr.4/11
Timeline: How Diana Died. BBC Conspiracy Files. Retrived Apr.4/11
Stratton, Allegra (26 October 2009). "Former royal tutor Rory Stewart selected for safe Tory seat". The Guardian (London).
The Prince of Wales - Countries Visited". Princeofwales.gov.uk. Retrieved Apr.4/11
Davies, Caroline (22 October 2005). "Prince William to join his brother at Sandhurst". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved Apr.4/11
Pierce, Andrew (13 January 2009). "Prince William starts as a search and rescue helicopter pilot". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved Apr.4/11
Terry Long - I hold degrees in history and journalism. In addition to my contributions to Suite 101, I have also written for the Brampton Bulletin, the ...
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