Prince William's 42nd birthday celebrated with family photo in Norfolk

The Princess of Wales has shared a picture of her husband to mark the occasion

Prince William and his children in Norfolk
Author: Abigail SimpsonPublished 21st Jun 2024

The Princess of Wales has wished her husband a Happy 42nd Birthday, posting a new photo of him and their children in Norfolk on X.

The picture shows Prince William jumping off a sand dune on a beach in the county with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

King Charles has also wished his son a Happy Birthday, posting a photo of the two of them together when William was a baby.

Well-wishes have been posted from around the world for the Prince on social media.

His birthday comes a day after watching England's disappointing Euro 2024 draw against Denmark.

William, president of the FA, was pictured alongside Denmark’s King Frederick as the two teams went head to head in Frankfurt, Germany, with the Three Lions drawing 1-1 in their second match of the tournament.

William has faced a challenging 12 months with both his wife the Princess of Wales and father the King diagnosed with cancer.

Kate returned briefly to the public limelight at Trooping the Colour last weekend with William and their three children.

But in a personal message to the nation, the princess revealed although she is making good progress, she is “not out of the woods yet”.

Kate told how she has good days and bad days and is facing a few more months of chemotherapy treatment.

William was seen with his mother-in-law Carole Middleton this week on a day out at Royal Ascot, where he took to a carriage with his stepmother the Queen for the traditional procession along the course.

When was Prince William born?

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales was born second in line to the throne at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, at 9.03pm on June 21 1982.

He weighed 7lb 1 1/2oz and was the first-born son of the then-Prince and the Princess of Wales.

At just nine months old, he accompanied his parents on a six-week official visit to Australia and New Zealand, which was a break from tradition with royal babies usually left at home in the care of nannies.

His mother Diana, who separated from the then-Prince of Wales in 1992, died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

William was just 15 and his brother Prince Harry 12, and the boys walked behind the princess’s coffin during a funeral procession through London.

The prince met Kate Middleton at St Andrews University in Fife, and the pair married at Westminster Abbey in 2011 after dating for more than eight years.

They welcomed their first child George in 2013, followed by Charlotte in 2015, and then Louis in 2018.

After the death of the late Queen in 2022, the King announced in his first historic address that he had made William and Kate the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

Since his last birthday, William has launched Homewards, his five-year drive to eradicate homelessness in six locations around the UK.

His other key focuses include raising mental health awareness, and the Earthshot Prize, his £50 million environmental competition to find solutions to help the planet.

The life of Prince William in pictures:

Prince William was born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana in June 21st 1982. At birth, he was second in line to the throne.

On September 15th 1984, William's brother, Prince Harry, was also born to the Royal couple.

William spent his early education at Wetherby School in 1987 and then in Ludgrove School in 1990. He would later study at Eton College in 1995.

Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, died in August 31st 1997. William was 15 years old at the time.

In 2000, William took a gap year and spent time doing community and conservation work in Chile, Kenya and New Zealand.

In 2006, William entered and graduated from the Sandhurst Military Academy. In the photograph, William was marching during the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, southern England December 15, 2006.

In 2010, William completed pilot training in the RAF Search and Rescue Force. He remained with the service and flew rescue missions. William later ended his military service in 2013 to spend more time on royal commitments and charity work.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding took place on Friday 29th April 2011. William had met Kate whilst studying and had proposed during a holiday in Kenya.

William and Kate's eldest son George Alexander Louis was born on July 22, 2013.

William and Kate's daughter Charlotte was born on May 2nd, 2015.

William and Kate's youngest son Prince Louis was born on April 23rd 2018.

In 2022, Prince William attended all Platinum Jubilee events.

On September 19th, Prince William attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

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