Prince William was born on this day in 1982 and was destined to be king from the moment he took his first breath.
Then the second in line to the throne, his birth was celebrated the world over, and despite being born relatively late in the evening, royal fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace to celebrate the arrival of the new prince.
The news was shared on a gilded easel outside the gates of the palace that read: “Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales was today safely delivered of a son at 9.03 pm.
“Her Royal Highness and her son are both doing well.”
At the time of his birth, William weighed 7lbs 1.5oz.
The following morning, the happy couple posed with their new arrival on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in London.
This was a scene that was recreated by William and Kate Middleton over 30 years later when their son and future king Prince George was born in 2013.
The now-King Charles revealed at the time that he had been by his young wife’s side “the whole time” she was giving birth and acknowledged the unusual experience of having a child who “belonged to us even though he seemed to belong to everyone else as well”.
The then-Prince of Wales wrote: “The arrival of our small son has been an astonishing experience and one that has meant more to me than I ever could have imagined.
“I am so thankful I was beside Diana’s bedside the whole time because I felt as though I’d shared deeply in the process of birth and as a result was rewarded by seeing a small creature who belonged to us even though he seemed to belong to everyone else as well.”
At the time of Prince William’s birth, Diana was just 20 years old and King Charles was 33.
She married Prince Charles the previous year when she was 20, having got engaged when she was still a teenager.
Prince William’s birth was also an interesting arrival for the royals in terms of breaking with tradition, as he was the first future king born in a hospital and not a palace, as had traditionally been the case.
William’s early life also broke with tradition in many ways too as Princess Diana sought to give him as normal a life as possible.
This meant that he had the opportunity to do things like take public transport and visit fast food restaurants, as was also the case for his younger brother, Prince Harry.
Even after Diana’s untimely death in 1997, William himself tried to carve out a life that was as normal as possible at university.
A deal was reached with the press that they would not take paparazzi shots of the young Prince as he studied at St Andrew’s University in Scotland in exchange for official pictures and releases.
It was at St Andrew’s University that he notably met his now-wife Kate, who also broke with tradition by marrying into the royal family without an aristocratic background.
This desire for a normal life has characterised the most recent year of William’s life more than ever amid his family’s ongoing health concerns.
Royal commentators have praised the prince for the efforts he has made this year to protect the Princess of Wales, in particular, as she undergoes treatment for cancer.
Anotable example came during this year’s BAFTAs, which the Prince interestingly prerecorded a message for at Windsor Castle instead of his own home, Adelaide Cottage, following intense speculation about the Princess’s whereabouts.
Some commentators saw this as a commendable effort to protect the Princess’s privacy.
Now that Prince William has entered his 42nd year, royal commentators are looking to the future of the Monarchy.
Writing for the MailOnline, royal expert Richard Eden claims that Willliam has a new plan for the royals and his youngest children, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, may be given the opportunity to live completely normal lives altogether.
Eden cited a source who claimed: “When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won’t be inviting anyone else to become working royals.
“It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals.
“That is what William wants. He sees the small European monarchies as the model for the future.”
William’s birthday was celebrated today by Kate on social media, who shared a previously unseen picture of the heir to the throne with his three children.
She wrote: “Happy birthday Papa, we all love you so much! Cx”
