Prince William of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As such, he is second in the line of succession to 16 independent states, although he is resident and most directly involved with the United Kingdom, the oldest realm.

Following his education at various schools around the United Kingdom, obtaining a degree from the University of St Andrews, and spending parts of his gap year in Chile, Belize, and countries in Africa, William enrolled in the military. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry – serving with his brother – and, two years later, earned his wings by completing pilot training at Royal Air Force College Cranwell. As of 2009, the Prince has transferred to the Royal Air Force, been promoted to flight lieutenant and is training to be a full time pilot with the Search and Rescue Force.

HM The Queen HRH The Duke of Edinburgh