Happy 30th Birthday, Prince William!

Prince William has lived his life in the spotlight ever since he was welcomed into the world on June 21, 1982. The son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor of Wales was welcomed into the world at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, providing Britain with a future heir to the throne.

At the age of just 14, William’s family life was plunged into crisis when his parents divorced, and the sudden death of his mother, Diana, in a Paris car crash followed in 1997.

However, the prince matured into a distinguished young man and completed his education at Eton College, before embarking on a gap year and eventually enrolling at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, where he met his future wife, Kate Middleton.

After university, a career in the military beckoned, with William completing stints in both the army and navy before eventually earning his RAF wings, and last year, the prince delighted the world when he tied the knot with Kate after a 10-year romance.

Now, as William prepares to turn the landmark age of 30, we look back at his life in the royal spotlight.

BY LOUISE SAUNDERS / STARLOUNGE