William, Prince of Wales, KG, KT, PC, ADC (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is a senior member of the British royal family. He is the heir apparent to the British throne as the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in 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 in geography at the University of St Andrews. William then 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 Prince performs official duties and engagements on behalf of the King. He 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, William, his wife and Prince Harry initiated the mental health awareness campaign "Heads Together" to encourage people to open up about their mental health issues. In October 2020, William launched the Earthshot Prize, a £50 million initiative to incentivise environmental solutions over the next decade.
In 2011, William was made Duke of Cambridge preceding his marriage to Catherine Middleton. William became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay following the accession of his father Charles III to the throne on 8 September 2022. The following day, he was made Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, titles reserved for the heir apparent of a reigning monarch, and Catherine became Princess of Wales. The couple have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
