PRINCE WILLIAM. Prince William is now the Crown Prince of Britain, 1st in line to succeed his father Charles III, King following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. What role will hold up over the next few months?
[Mis à jour le 9 septembre 2022 à 09h27] It was with a black and white photo of the sovereign accompanied by an extract from the text of the press release sent by Buckingham Palace that Prince William and his wife Kate reacted after the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II, Thursday, September 8 2022. The death of the Queen of England of course upsets the order of succession to the British throne. Having become king (even if his appointment will only be official after several formal steps), Charles III will leave the throne at his death to his eldest son, William, who has become No. 1 in the order of succession on Thursday evening.
With this status, will William’s role change? The eldest son of Charles and Diana already had obligations and a role to play in many public and ceremonial events. In 2021, it was he who accompanied Elizabeth II on her traditional summer tour of Scotland, taking over from Prince Philip, Elizabeth’s husband who died a few months earlier. For the time being, it is above all Prince Charles who will take on a new role, becoming the new King of England, Charles III (more explanations here).
Duke of Cornwall, future Prince of Wales?
William, who has several titles including that of Duke of Cambridge, should also logically inherit new titles. William and Kate have already inherited in the minutes following the death of Elizabeth II the title of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, succeeding Charles and Camilla. William could also wear the title of Prince of Wales one day soon, worn until then by his father since a ceremony held in 1969. British tradition wants this title to be worn by the eldest son of the monarch, the next king.
As a reminder, the “London Bridge is down” operation provides for the funeral and mourning of the Queen as well as the succession of the crown to the future king. The question has long arisen as to who between Prince Charles and Prince William would take over when the Queen takes her last breath. In 2018, Elizabeth II decided to respect tradition and bequeath the Commonwealth kingdom to her first son, Prince Charles. If there is a future king left, Prince William will not wear the crown after the death of Elizabeth II and will therefore have to wait for his father to hand over the throne to him.
Prince William visited Elizabeth II’s bedside in the afternoon
Her trip to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the monarch was in residence, was improvised in an emergency after the publication by Buckingham Palace ofa statement on Her Majesty’s state of health, with some less reassuring news: “The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision”. The Duke of Cambridge had been among the first to shake up his schedule to go to the Queen but he was not the only one, his father Prince Charles, his uncle Prince Andrew and his aunt Princess Anne having also taken the way to the royal residence of Balmoral. Even his brother Harry and his uncle Prince Andrew, yet at odds with the rest of the blue-blooded family, had made the trip to Scotland.
The news on the health of Elizabeth II, who celebrated her 96th birthday this year, then plunged the royal family but also the whole of the United Kingdom into anguish. Prince William left aside his obligations to go to the bedside of his visibly ailing grandmother, but it was without his wife Kate and without his three children that the Duke of Cambridge made the trip. Earlier in the morning, before the doctors communicated on the state of health of Her Majesty, Prince William played his role of father by accompanying Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to their return to school.
Born on June 21, 1982 at St-Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, Prince William is the son of Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the British crown. At birth, he takes the place of the second in the line of succession to the British throne. He joined Eton College where he studied geography, biology and art history. Once graduated, he took a sabbatical year and then joined the University of St-Andrews in Scotland. William meets there Catherine Middleton, said Kate. They dated from 2002. After graduating with a master’s degree in geography, he enlisted in the army and joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst in January 2006. He became a lieutenant and then a pilot in the Royal Air Force. From the age of 20, he assumed his first royal duties and made visits abroad, mainly to Commonwealth states. Since 2009, he has increasingly taken part in an increasing number of royal ceremonies and duties. After spending years together, William and Kate Middleton got engaged in October in Kenya. Their wedding is celebrated on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey before the eyes of two billion viewers around the world. On this occasion, the Queen grants them the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In September 2013, Prince William left the armed forces to devote himself fully to his official activities. Their Royal Highnesses William and Kate are the parents of Prince George, born July 22, 2013, Charlotte (2015) and young Louis (2018). In April 2020, Prince William tested positive for Covid-19 and recovered quickly. On the occasion of Platinum Jubilee of the Queen of England From June 2 to 5, 2022, Prince William and Kate Middleton take part in the festivities paying tribute to the sovereign alongside the British people.
Prince William was born on June 21, 1982 at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington in London. He is the son of Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales and heir to the British crown. He is also the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His mother broke with tradition and gave birth to the future king of England in a public hospital. Alongside his younger brother Harry, he was made aware by his mother of the problems of certain segments of the British population. In particular, they visit specialist clinics for people affected by the AIDS virus and shelters for the homeless. Her upbringing is more open than that of Charles insofar as Diana strives to carry out “normal” activities with her sons, such as going to fast food, to an amusement park or playing video games.
He joined Eton College where he studied geography, biology and art history. His parents officially divorced in 1996, although they separated in 1992, after years of disagreement and media pressure. His mother, Princess Diana, tragically died on August 31, 1997 in a car accident in Paris. Once graduated, he took a sabbatical year and then joined the University of St-Andrews in Scotland. William meets there Kate Middleton and with whom he lives in shared accommodation. With a master’s degree in geography, he enlisted in the army and joined the prestigious Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst in January 2006. He became a lieutenant then pilot in the Royal Air Force. From an early age, Prince William assumed his royal duties and made visits abroad, particularly to Commonwealth states.
The relationship between Prince William and Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton and Prince William have been dating since 2002, when they both live together with three other friends. The young woman is daughter of rich entrepreneurs and studies art history. Their relationship became known to the tabloids as early as 2003. They lived together until the end of their respective studies in 2006. In the mid-2000s, she was harassed by the British media, which speculated that she was still not engaged to Prince William. In 2007, Kate and William separated a few months before getting back together.
The couple got engaged in October 2010, during a private holiday in Kenya, after obtaining permission from Queen Elizabeth II and Catherine Middleton’s father. Their engagement was officially announced on November 16, 2010, at Clarence House. Kate therefore wears the Diana’s engagement ring. They married on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey. On D-Day, they are cheered by millions on the streets of London and watched by more than 2 billion viewers worldwide. They receive from the Queen on this occasion the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Children of Prince William and Kate Middleton
On July 22, 2013, Kate Middleton gives birth to the prince george Alexander Louis of Cambridge, third in line to the British throne. Their son was introduced to the world’s media the following day as they were discharged from St Mary’s Hospital in London. This first child and future heir to the British throne arouses great curiosity. He accompanies his parents from the age of 8 months for an official tour in Australia. Their union also gives birth to the princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, born on May 2, 2015 and to the young prince Louis Arthur Charles, who was born on April 23, 2018. Kate and William protect their children as best they can from the media exposure of the royal family. George and Charlotte are educated at the private school of Thomas’s Battersea according to an educational method based on kindness, honesty and generosity. Young Louis seems more mischievous than his elders and amused watchers around the world during the Queen’s Jubilee in June 2022.