Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Prince William | |
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Duke of Cambridge
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Born | Prince William of Wales 21 June 1982 St Mary's Hospital, London, United Kingdom |
Spouse | Catherine Middleton (m. 2011) |
Issue |
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Full name | |
William Arthur Philip Louis | |
House | Windsor |
Father | Charles, Prince of Wales |
Mother | Lady Diana Spencer |
Module | |
Education |
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Military career | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Armed Forces |
Years of active service | 2006–2013 |
Unit | Blues and Royals HMS Iron Duke RAF Search and Rescue Force |
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is a member of the British royal family. He is the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales. Since birth, he has been second in the line of succession to the British throne.
Born in St Mary's Hospital, London, William was educated at Wetherby School, Ludgrove School and Eton College. He spent parts of his gap year in Belize and Chile before earning a Scottish Master of Arts degree majoring in geography at the University of St Andrews. William subsequently trained at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst prior to serving with the Blues and Royals. In April 2008, William graduated from Royal Air Force College Cranwell, joining RAF Search and Rescue Force in early 2009. He served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance from July 2015 for two years.
The Duke performs official duties and engagements on behalf of the Queen. William holds patronage with over 30 charitable and military organisations, including the Tusk Trust, Centrepoint, and London's Air Ambulance Charity. He undertakes projects through The Royal Foundation, with his charity work revolving around mental health, conservation, and emergency workers. In December 2014, he founded the "United for Wildlife" initiative, which aims to reduce worldwide illegal wildlife trade. In April 2016, the Cambridges and Prince Harry initiated the mental health awareness campaign "Heads Together" to encourage people to open up about their mental health issues.
In 2011, Prince William was made Duke of Cambridge preceding his marriage to Catherine Middleton. The couple have three children: Prince George (b. 2013), Princess Charlotte (b. 2015), and Prince Louis (b. 2018).