Early Life
Prince William was born at Hadley Common, Hertfordshire. His father was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974), the third eldest son of King George V and Queen Mary. His mother was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (1901–2004), the third daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch. As a grandson of the British Monarch in the male line, he was styled Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with the style His Royal Highness.
He was baptised in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on 22 February 1942 by Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury. His godparents were: King George VI (his paternal uncle); Queen Mary (his paternal grandmother); Princess Helena Victoria (his cousin); the Lady Margaret Hawkins (his maternal aunt); Major the Lord William Montagu Douglas Scott (his maternal uncle); and the Viscount Gort (who was unable to attend). Because of the war, newspapers did not identify the actual location of the christening, and said instead that it took place at "a private chapel in the country". In 1947, Prince William was a page boy for his cousin The Princess Elizabeth at her wedding to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The other page boy was Prince Michael of Kent.
Prince William spent his early childhood at Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire and later in Australia, where his father served as Governor-General from 1945 to 1947. He received his education at Wellesley House Preparatory School, Broadstairs, Kent, and at Eton College. After leaving Eton in 1960, he went to Magdalene College, Cambridge, to read history, earning himself a BA degree. Subsequently, he was awarded an MA (Cantab.) degree in 1968.
In 1953, Prince William attended the coronation of his cousin, Elizabeth II.
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