The Prince of Wales is the only member of the royal family to speak during the very codified ceremony of his coronation.
Prince William, future sovereign of the United Kingdom, will have an important role this Saturday, May 6, during the coronation of his father: it is he who has been chosen to become “the man of liege” or the “person of confidence” of the monarch. And this status is formalized during a very codified moment, when the prince kneels before the king, to take his oath.
Giving him his hand, he will utter his words: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and I will bear you faith and truth, as the trusted man of your life and body. May God come to the aid”. This sequence, which promises to be one of the most striking of the coronation is called “The homage of the royal blood, in the liturgy, whose the program has been made public.
Who is Prince William?
Born on June 21, 1982 at St-Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, Prince William is the eldest son of Lady Diana Spencer and King Charles III Charles. 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, known as 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 the states of the Commonwealth. From 2009, he increasingly takes part in a large number of royal ceremonies and duties.
After spending years together, William and Kate Middleton got engaged in October in Kenya. Their wedding was celebrated on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey under 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 the 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. When Queen Elizabeth II dies on September 8, 2022, William becomes heir to the crown.
Prince William has been Duke of Cambridge since his marriage, but on the death of Elizabeth II he was given new royal titles including the coveted Prince of Wales, a title his father held for 64 years. Kate Middleton has become Princess of Wales, the first since the death of Lady Diana. The princely title is not the only one that has returned to the royal couple since Prince William and his wife are now qualified as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. William and Kate are now Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. A modification which also concerns the children of the couple, George, Charlotte and Louis.
With these new titles come new responsibilities, with the Duchy of Cornwall being a 600 sq km estate wealthy enough to own an organic food business and generate multi-million dollar revenues and fund a share of the crown’s private finances. Prince William and Kate Middleton, already very active in their role as representatives of the royal family, will become even more visible and in greater demand. Still, the eldest son of King Charles III has already been on the front of the stage for several months since having accompanied and at times replaced Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince William is the son of Lady Diana Spencer and Charles who became King Charles III on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. He is in fact the grandson of 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, St-Mary’s Hospital in Paddington. Alongside his younger brother Harry, he was made aware by his mother of the problems of certain sections 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 Kate Middleton there with whom he lives with a roommate. 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 an early age, Prince William assumed his royal duties and made visits abroad, particularly to Commonwealth states.
Kate Middleton and Prince William have been dating since 2002, when they both live together with three other friends. The young woman is the daughter of wealthy 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 then wears Diana’s engagement ring. They married on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey. On D-Day, they are cheered on by millions of people in the streets of London and watched by more than 2 billion viewers around the world. They receive from the Queen on this occasion the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
On July 22, 2013, Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, second 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 Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, born May 2, 2015, and young Prince Louis Arthur Charles, who was born 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.