There are many ways people mark the passage of time. By realising the majority of your Spotify most-playeds were released 12 years ago! By doing the maths and knowing that you could feasibly be the parent of a Love Island contestant! Or, by looking at Prince William, who you know is around your age and realising he's turning 40.
Yes, it's Prince William's 40th Birthday!
And although the Duke of Cambridge's children with wife Kate Middleton have now taken the spotlightwe can't forget that the young Prince was breaking boundaries even as a newborn. He was the first child in the immediate line of succession to the throne to be born outside the home and also the first royal baby to accompany his parents on an international tour.
As Prince William turns 40, we decided to take a look back at some of his cutest childhood pictures, many with his brother Prince Harry and mother, Princess Diana.
If you think Prince Louis pulling some funny faces is the greatest thing that's happened to the Royals, you've obviously never seen some of these amazing pictures...
The Best Pictures of Prince William Growing Up
1 of 2318 month old Prince William in the garden of his home, Kensington Palace
2 of 23Prince William wears a fireman's helmet as he plays on an antique fire engine
3 of 23A young Prince William with his father, Prince Charles
4 of 23Prince William on his first day at nursery school
5 of 23Diana Princess of Wales with Prince William at a photocall on the lawn of Government House in Auckland
6 of 23Prince William on his first day at nursery schoo
7 of 23Prince William at school
8 of 23Double denim with his brother, Prince Harry
9 of 23We told you you'd love the pink braces
10 of 23It's the Mickey Mouse jumper for us.
11 of 23Prince William with his father, Prince Charles
12 of 23Diana And William as a baby in Kensington Palace
13 of 23Prince William At The British Grand Prix
14 of 23A newborn Prince William with his mother Princess Diana and father Prince Charles
15 of 23Hello?
16 of 23Princes William and Harry with their mother, Princess Diana
17 of 23Prince Harry'S First Day at school
18 of 23He always had drive
19 of 23Prince William On His First Day At Eton College
20 of 23On an annual ski holiday
21 of 23An early helicopter experience
22 of 23Prince William playing polo
23 of 23Prince William... with a lamb.
The Duke of Cambridge was born on 21 June 1982 at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington to Diana, Princessof Wales and Charles, The Prince of Wales. Prince William is the second in line to the throne. He is married to The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, and together they have three children; Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Over the years he has been a force for change though campaigns and bringing awareness to issues he cares about. On his 40th birthday he has used the milestone to spotlight a homelessness charity. His passion to help the homeless has been fuelled in part by his late mother, Princess Diana. In 1993 she took William and his younger brother Prince Harry to visit a homeless shelter run by The Passage; and William has continued to work with them as an adult. In October 2020, His Royal Highness launched The Earthshot Prize – a new global prize for the environment – designed to drive change and help to repair our planet over the next 10 years.
Another milestone initiative was the 2017 Heads Together mental health campaign, alongside The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Together they created a coalition of eight mental health charity partners to change the national conversation on mental health.