Prince William:
His Life, Career and Achievements
From his childhood within the Royal Family and service in the Armed Forces to his role as Prince of Wales, explore the life and achievements of Prince William.
A modern royal life shaped by service
Prince William, Prince of Wales, has spent much of his life preparing for a future role at the heart of the British monarchy. Yet his story has also been shaped by experiences beyond traditional royal duties, including university life, military service, search and rescue operations and work with an air ambulance service.
Born in 1982 as the eldest son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, William grew up under extraordinary public attention. Over the decades that followed, his responsibilities developed alongside a growing focus on environmental protection, mental health and homelessness.
This Prince William timeline explores the major moments in his life, career and public work.
Prince William Timeline: Childhood and Education
The early experiences that shaped Britain's future King.
The Birth of Prince William
Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born on 21 June 1982 at St Mary's Hospital in London.
He was the first child of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and was born second in line to the British throne.
Growing Up in the Public Eye
William's childhood unfolded under intense public and media attention.
Alongside his younger brother Prince Harry, he experienced both royal life and a childhood in which Diana sought to introduce her sons to life beyond palace walls.
Education at Eton
Prince William began attending Eton College in 1995, where he studied subjects including geography, biology and history of art.
His school years were interrupted by the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997. William was 15 years old.
University at St Andrews
William enrolled at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001.
He initially studied history of art before changing to geography and graduated in 2005.
It was at St Andrews that he met Catherine Middleton, who would later become his wife and Princess of Wales.
Prince William's Military and Aviation Career
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Following university, William trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
He was commissioned as an officer in the British Army in December 2006.
RAF Search and Rescue
Prince William trained as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force and went on to serve with the RAF Search and Rescue Force.
Based at RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, he served as a search and rescue pilot and participated in numerous operations assisting people in emergencies.
Marriage to Catherine Middleton
Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011.
On the day of the wedding, they became The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Their family later grew with the births of Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.
East Anglian Air Ambulance
William later worked as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
The role placed him alongside emergency medical crews responding to serious incidents and gave him first-hand experience of the pressures faced by emergency service personnel.
His public role has increasingly combined royal duty with long-term projects focused on some of the social and environmental challenges facing the future.
Prince William's Major Achievements and Projects
Several causes have become closely associated with William's modern public role.
Conservation
Prince William has spent many years supporting wildlife conservation and efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, making environmental protection one of the central themes of his work.
Mental Health
Together with Catherine and Prince Harry, William helped bring greater public attention to mental health through the Heads Together campaign and subsequent Royal Foundation initiatives.
The Earthshot Prize
In 2020, Prince William founded The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental initiative designed to identify and help scale solutions capable of repairing and protecting the planet.
Homewards
In 2023, William and The Royal Foundation launched Homewards, a five-year programme working across six UK locations to demonstrate that homelessness can be made rare, brief and unrepeated.
Becoming Prince of Wales
A New Position in the Line of Succession
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, William's father became King Charles III.
William became heir apparent to the British throne and was subsequently created Prince of Wales.
Launching Homewards
In June 2023, Prince William launched Homewards through The Royal Foundation.
The five-year initiative works with six flagship locations around the United Kingdom to test collaborative approaches designed to prevent homelessness before it occurs.
The Future Role of Prince William
As Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, William now carries an increasing range of responsibilities in support of The King.
His work continues to combine traditional royal engagements with long-term projects focused on environmental protection, homelessness and community impact.
Tradition and a Changing Monarchy
Prince William's life represents a period of transition within the modern British monarchy.
His early years were shaped by centuries of royal tradition, yet his adult career has also included experiences that would have been unusual for previous generations of heirs to the throne — from operational military service to working as an air ambulance pilot.
Today, his position places him at the centre of the next chapter of Britain's royal story, balancing the historic responsibilities of the Crown with causes intended to create long-term social and environmental change.
Celebrating the Life of Prince William
Royal commemoratives have long provided a tangible way of recording important people, anniversaries and moments in British history. Kensington Mint's Celebrating the Life of Prince William Collection reflects milestones from the life of the Prince of Wales.
Find Out About the CoinA Life of Service Still in Progress
Prince William's story is still being written.
From a child born into one of the world's most historic
institutions to a military pilot, husband, father,
environmental advocate and Prince of Wales, his life
reflects both continuity and change within the modern
British monarchy.
As his responsibilities continue to develop, the causes
and initiatives he chooses to champion are likely to play
an important part in defining his place in British royal
history.
