Prince William Biography: Age, Title, Wife, Children & Latest News
Who Is Prince William? Biography, Age, Real Name, Title, Family, Career & Latest News
Prince William is the Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the British throne. The elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, he is a working royal with a long list of patronages, the founder of the Earthshot Prize, the president of BAFTA, and the husband of Catherine, Princess of Wales. At 44, he is carrying a heavier public schedule than at any point in his life, and this month that has meant investitures at Windsor Castle, a state banquet, a talk show appearance and preparations for a major awards ceremony in Mumbai.
This biography covers his name and title, his background, his education and military service, his marriage and children, his charity work, his place in entertainment and popular culture, and the latest confirmed news as of October 31, 2026.
What Is Prince William’s Real Name?
His full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. He was born Prince William of Wales, and he is formally styled His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. He does not use a surname in daily life, and members of the family have used Windsor and, in military settings, Wales.
What Is Prince William’s Title?
He became Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus on the morning of his wedding in April 2011. When his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II died and his father became king on September 8, 2022, William became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay. He was named Prince of Wales the following day, September 9, 2022. As the eldest son of the king, he is first in line to the throne.
How Old Is Prince William?
He was born on June 21, 1982, which makes him 44 years old as of this article. He turns 45 on June 21, 2027.
Where Is Prince William From?
He was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, and he is British. He spent his childhood in London and at the family’s country homes, and today his family lives in Windsor, with a country house in Norfolk.
Prince William’s Early Life and Family
His parents are King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, who divorced in 1996. His younger brother is Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. William was 15 when his mother died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, and he has spoken publicly about how that loss shaped him, including in his work on mental health.
Prince William’s Education
He attended Jane Mynors’ nursery school, Wetherby School and Ludgrove School before going to Eton College. After a gap year that included time in Chile, Belize and Africa, he studied at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he first took a different course before switching to geography. He graduated in 2005 with a master’s-level degree. It was at St Andrews that he met Catherine Middleton.
After university, he trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned in 2006.
Prince William’s Military and Flying Career
William served in the Household Cavalry and later trained as a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force, flying from RAF Valley in Wales until 2013. He later worked as a helicopter pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, a full-time civilian job that he left in 2017 to take on more royal duties. That career gave him an unusual level of public goodwill, and it remains a notable part of his biography.
Prince William’s Wedding and Marriage
He married Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, in a ceremony watched by a global television audience. They have three children: Prince George, born on July 22, 2013; Princess Charlotte, born on May 2, 2015; and Prince Louis, born on April 23, 2018. George is second in line to the throne, followed by Charlotte and Louis.
In 2024, the family went through a difficult period. Catherine underwent surgery in January and announced a cancer diagnosis in March. She completed chemotherapy that year and announced in January 2025 that she was in remission. William has said publicly that it was one of the hardest years of his life, and he has continued to describe his family as his priority.
Prince William’s Charity Work and the Earthshot Prize
William’s best-known project is the Earthshot Prize, which he launched in 2020 with broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. It awards five winners each year £1 million each for solutions to environmental problems, and it has held ceremonies in London, Boston, Singapore, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro. The 2026 ceremony will be the first in India.
He is also known for his work on mental health, including the Heads Together campaign launched with Catherine and Prince Harry, and for Homewards, a five-year programme he started in 2023 to tackle homelessness through local partnerships. He is president of the Football Association and a patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, and he is a long-time supporter of Aston Villa.
Prince William and the Entertainment World
William has been BAFTA’s president since 2010, and he and Catherine attended the 79th British Academy Film Awards in London in February 2026, her first time on that red carpet in two years. He regularly presents awards and meets actors, directors and musicians as part of the role.
He has also been depicted on screen, including in the Netflix series The Crown and the film Spencer, though those portrayals are dramatizations and not his own statements. The Earthshot Prize has drawn film and music personalities to its ceremonies, and in 2024 and 2025 those events included high-profile performers and presenters.
Prince William’s Awards and Honors
His honors are tied to his royal position. He is a Knight of the Garter, appointed in 2008, and a Knight of the Thistle, appointed in 2012. He also holds several military appointments. He does not hold competitive entertainment awards, and the Earthshot Prize he founded has itself been the subject of recognition for its scale and global reach.
Prince William’s Current Projects
His main commitments right now are the Earthshot Prize 2026, the Homewards programme and a steady rotation of official engagements across the country. He has recently carried out visits in Wales on flood prevention and a trip to Somerset, and in Windsor he delivered investitures that included rugby league star Kevin Sinfield, triathlete Alistair Brownlee and director and actor Dexter Fletcher.
Prince William’s Latest News
On October 1, 2026, the Earthshot Prize announced that its awards ceremony will stream on Prime Video for the first time, in more than 240 countries and territories, with Mumbai hosting the event. Several sources give the date as November 17, 2026, though one outlet lists a different date, so check Earthshot’s official announcement before publishing. Filmmaker Karan Johar is hosting, and Alia Bhatt, Rami Malek and Simone Ashley are among the confirmed attendees. About 5,000 guests are expected.
On October 20, 2026, William and Catherine attended the state banquet at Windsor Castle for the Sultan of Oman during his state visit.
On October 23, 2026, William appeared on The Graham Norton Show alongside Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham. He talked about his childhood ambitions, including wanting to be a police officer, and he said that he and his younger children are fans of the television show The Celebrity Traitors.
This week, entertainment outlets also reported that William is considering selling about 20 percent of the Duchy of Cornwall estate to fund projects on housing, nature recovery and renewable energy. The reports cite an interview with People, and I did not find a statement from Kensington Palace confirming a sale, so treat the plan as reported and unconfirmed. Separate stories about his relationship with Prince Harry have also been circulating, including claims that a family member tried to broker a reconciliation, and those accounts come from secondhand sources.
Frequently Asked Questions About Prince William
What is Prince William’s full name?
William Arthur Philip Louis.
What is Prince William’s title?
He is the Prince of Wales, a title he has held since September 9, 2022.
How old is Prince William?
He is 44. He was born on June 21, 1982.
Where is Prince William from?
He was born in London, England.
Who is Prince William’s wife?
Catherine, Princess of Wales, formerly Kate Middleton. They married on April 29, 2011.
How many children does Prince William have?
Three: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Will Prince William be king?
As the eldest son of King Charles III, he is first in line to the throne and the heir apparent.
What is the Earthshot Prize?
An environmental prize he founded in 2020 that awards five winners £1 million each every year.
What is Prince William doing now?
He is carrying out royal engagements and preparing for the 2026 Earthshot Prize ceremony in Mumbai.
Daniel Brooks is a biography writer and storyteller passionate about exploring the lives of influential people around the world. From celebrities and successful entrepreneurs to renowned leaders and rising stars, he shares their life stories, family backgrounds, career journeys, achievements, and challenges. His mission is to provide readers with engaging, informative, and inspiring biographies that reveal the people behind the fame and success.
