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{{Infobox royalty
| name          = William VI
| title          = [[Duke of Hanover|Duke of Hanover]]
| image          = Royalty.jpg


| image_size    = Medium
| succession  =
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{{Collapsible list |title={{wp|Queen of the United Kingdom|King of the British}} and of the People of his other {{wp|Commonwealth Realms|Realms}}|titlestyle=background:transparent;text-align:center;padding-center:1.0em;
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      {{Aligned table |fullwidth=on |cols=2 |class=nowrap |style=line-height:1.2em;
        |col1style=padding-right:0.5em;
        |{{wp|Canada}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Australia}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|New Zealand}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Jamaica}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Barbados}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|The Bahamas}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Grenada}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Papua New Guinea}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Solomon Islands}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Tuvalu}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|St. Lucia}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|St. Vincent and the Grenadines}}                                      | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Belize}}                                      | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Antigua and Barbuda}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|St. Kitts and Nevis}}                                        | 1997-2017
|{{wp|Puerto Rico}}                                        | 1997-2017
}} }} }}
| moretext    =
| reign        = 15 January, 1997 - 13 October, 2017
| reign-type  = Reign
| coronation  = 20 March, 1997
| cor-type    = Coronation
| predecessor  = [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|Charles III]]
| pre-type    = Predecessor
| regent      = {{list collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{wp|John Major}}<br>{{wp|Tony Blair}}<br>{{wp|Gordon Brown}}<br>{{wp|David Cameron}}<br>{{wp|Theresa May}}}}
| reg-type    = {{nowrap|{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Ministers}}}}
| successor    = [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]]
| suc-type    = Successor
| succession1  =
| moretext1    =
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| reign-type1  =
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| moretext2    =
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| birth_name    = William Edward Francis Albert Charles
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1950|12|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place    = {{wp|Balmoral Castle}}, {{wp|Scotland}}
| death_date  =
| death_place  =
| burial_date  =
| burial_place =
| spouse              = {{marriage|{{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise of Norway}}|14 June 1995}}
| issue                = {{plainlist|* [[Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom|Princess Victoria]]
* [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]]
* [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard, Duke of Cleveland]]
* [[Prince Alistair, Duke of Edinburgh|Alistair, Duke of Edinburgh]]
* [[Princess Mary, Duchess of Sussex|Mary, Duchess of Sussex]]}}
| full name      = William Edward Francis Albert Charles
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}}
| father        = [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|Charles III]]
| mother        = {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}
| religion      = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
| module      = {{Infobox officeholder | embed=yes
  | branch        = {{plainlist|
*{{navy|United Kingdom}}}}
  | serviceyears  = 1979-1996 (active service)
  | servicenumber = <!-- Do not use data from primary sources such as service records -->
  | unit          =
  | commands      =
  | rank          = {{wp|Brigadier (Royal Navy)|Brigadier}}
  | battles_label =
  | battles      = {{wp|The Troubles}}<br/>{{wp|Falklands War}}<br/>{{wp|Multinational Force in Lebanon}}}}
}}
'''William VI''' (William Edward Francis Albert Charles; born 17 December 1950) was {{wp|King of the United Kingdom|King of the British}} from 1997 to 2017. In 1995, he married the {{wp|Norwegian}} princess {{wp|Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise}} with whom he has four children: [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]], [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard]], [[Prince Alistair, Duke of Edinburgh|Alistair]], and [[Princess Mary, Duchess of Sussex|Mary]]. Despite his constitutional status, as King, he was instrumental in promoting continued relations between the {{wp|United Kingdom}} and its allies in {{wp|Asia}} through his respective state visits to the continent, and was also particularly responsible for the passing of the [[Succession to the Crown Act 1997]] in the very first year of his reign, which led to a fundamental change in the country's succession laws. Meanwhile, the latter half of his reign was then marked by the early years of the {{wp|War on terror|War on Terror}} and the deaths of his parents, the former [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|King Charles III]] and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} in the years 2011 and 2014 respectively.
In his youth, he actively served in the {{wp|Royal Navy}}, with William himself being a part of the {{wp|British}} task force involved in the {{wp|Falklands War}}. At the same time, he was also known for his somewhat publicised lifestyle, which tied the prince to several famous actresses at the time, most of which were either exclusively of {{wp|British}} or {{wp|American}} nationalities. However, in June 1995, he married {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway}}, with whom he has four children, namely [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]], [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard]], [[Prince Alistair, Duke of Edinburgh|Alistair]], and [[Princess Mary, Duchess of Sussex|Mary]]. In addition to that, William is also the father of the celebrated {{wp|British}}-{{wp|Canadian}} tennis player, [[Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom|Princess Victoria]] (formerly known as Victoria Cattrall), an illegitimate daughter born from a relationship with {{wp|English}}-born {{wp|Canadian}}-{{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Kim Cattrall}}.
Following a health crisis in the final year of his reign, and upon the recommendation of the then {{wp|Theresa May|Prime Minister}}, an ageing William abdicated the throne in favour of his daughter, whom ascended to the throne as [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]], while styling himself as [[Duke of Hanover|''Duke of Hanover'']]. Effectively, he became the third {{wp|British}} monarch to ever abdicate the throne, preceded by his own father, [[Charles the Great|Charles III]] in 1997, and later {{wp|Queen Victoria}} in 1837. Nevertheless, following his abdication, the former monarch has since been furthering his interest in other matters aswell, including both philanthropy and inter-religious dialogues. In addition to that, he is also a dedicated patron of contemporary {{wp|British}} filmography, having been born and influenced by both of his parents, both of whom were former actors and actresses themselves respectively. 
As a result of his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|mother}}'s {{wp|Jewish}} identity, William has since been recognised as being the first {{wp|Jewish}} monarch of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, as per the {{wp|Jewish}} {{wp|Matrilineality in Judaism|matrilineal descent}} rule.
==Early Life==
William was born on December 17th 1950 to the then [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|Charles, Prince of Wales]] and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Lauren, Princess of Wales}}, formerly known as Lauren Bacall, during the reign of his grandfather, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]]. His godparents, in a manner previously unknown to that of his predecessors, consisted of both {{wp|British}} and {{wp|American}} nationals, whilst also including both members of royalty and non-royalty, such as his great-uncle and aunt, [[Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale]] and {{wp|Astrid of Sweden|Princess Astrid of Sweden}}, then {{wp|British}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|Clement Attlee}}, and {{wp|American}} {{wp|Hollywood}} figures, actor, {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}, and actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}.
Having been baptised as William Edward Francis Albert Charles, his given name, while initially, and most popularly thought to had been a gesture by his [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|father]] in honouring his great-grandfather, the famed [[William V of the United Kingdom|King William V]], it was instead disclosed to had been a gesture by William's father in honouring his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|mother}}'s then divorced father, William Perske. Following this, he was subsequently given the names honouring his grandfather, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]], and that of his parents' close friend, the {{wp|American}} actor and singer, {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}, whose given name and middle name the royal prince was given to, before concluding with William's father's own given name, ''Charles''.
==''Prince of the Welsh''==
Around the time when William was only a year old, the death of his grandfather, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]] led to his [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|father]] becoming the new sovereign as ''Charles the Third''. At the same time, as the new heir apparent, William was created {{wp|Duke of Cornwall}} on July 7th by the former. Furthermore, following his father's ascension to the throne, the family of three subsequently moved from their previous residence at {{wp|Edinburgh Castle}} to the central residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} in {{wp|London}}.
Mirroring that of his own [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|father]]'s upbringing, William's upbringing in {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} was reportedly said to had been somewhat restrictive in the early years, as a consequence of fringe rumours espousing harmful plots targeting the royal family. Nevertheless, the prince was able to benefit from both of his parents' much modern and liberal parenting style, with his [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|father]] in particular emphasising qualities of "individuality, self-dependent, and survivability" in the young prince, while his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|mother}} generally added onto the efforts of William's father in "liberalising" the young ''Prince of the Welsh''.
===The American Prince===
As his parents had previously been involved in the {{wp|Hollywood}} industry as actors and actresses themselves, William also grew up with a firm passion for {{wp|American}} movies and films, an interest helped by his parents' convenient associations with various {{wp|Hollywood}} celebrities. At the same time, he also became fond of locally-made {{wp|British}} films aswell, with the famed {{wp|English}} actress, {{wp|Audrey Hepburn}}, being a personal favourite, and later a close friend of his.
====Katharine Hepburn====
In particular, due to his parents' close association to the {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, whom had consistently been a close friend of the royal couple, and also the prince's own godmother, William would also occasionally spend some time living under the actress's care at her family residence in {{wp|Fenwick}}, {{wp|Connecticut}}. Later on, in his memoirs, William himself described his time of living in {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}'s family home as a "wholly wild, and fascinating experience". He also generally described the actress in a wholly positive light, having written in one instance, ''"While there were some minor, and understandable blunders from her, I could feel that we generally appreciated and cared for one another"''. Moreover, when living at the actress's {{wp|Connecticut}} family home, William was said to had generally fancied "dipping his toes every morning on the shores of the cold water", whilst also having much interest in sports such as golf and tennis, an interest made convenient with the presence of nearby golf courses and alike.
Interestingly, the supposed state of their "mother and son" relationship proved quick to gain a sizable degree of notoriety among the local community, so much so that William was initially mistaken to be an alleged secret lovechild between {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} and her known romantic partner at the time, the actor, {{wp|Spencer Tracy}}, although these were quickly refuted by {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}'s own family members, whom were already aware of the royal family's connections to the actress. Nevertheless, when the two were mostly apart, both William and {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} maintained their lifelong friendship through the extensive use of telephones, and to a certain extent, an exchange of gifts, particularly during {{wp|Christmas}} or their own respective birthday celebrations.
Furthermore, during the period between 1968 to 1970, William once more lived together for a while with {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}, with the latter acting as the prince's guardian, when he chose to study at the local {{wp|Central Connecticut State University}} in {{wp|New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain}}, {{wp|Connecticut}}, albeit under an assumed alias as to conceal his true identity there. Reportedly, William himself had initially considered on enrolling at the more prestigious {{wp|Columbia University}} in neighbouring {{wp|New York (state)|New York}} but, out of his desire to remain close to the actress, he chose to instead enroll in the local state university in {{wp|Connecticut}} itself, which had been the actress's own birthplace. Thus, this arrangement allowed William a relative sense of easiness in traveling back and forth from the actress's family home in {{wp|Fenwick}} to the city of {{wp|New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain}} up north. Ultimately, after a two years long study, under the assumed alias of ''George White'', he then graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in International Relations.
===Post-University Years===
Immediately following his graduation from university, William, as expected of an heir to the {{wp|British}} throne, began to officially undertake royal duties on his [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|father]]'s behalf. On December 1970, he privately met with the {{wp|President of Yugoslavia}}, {{wp|Josip Broz Tito}}, at his private estate at the {{wp|Brijuni}} islands. Reportedly, like his own father, William himself enjoyed a mutual friendship with the {{wp|Yugoslavs|Yugoslav}} leader, whom William was said to had wholly admired for the latter's success in stabilising ethnic relations within the federation, along with the {{wp|Yugoslavs|Yugoslav}} strongman's own liberal approach to foreign issues.
==Reign==
Upon his [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|father]]'s abdication on January 1997, William automatically ascended to the throne as King William VI. Despite his longstanding ceremonial status, William, in a manner similar to that of his father and predecessor, [[Charles III of the United Kingdom|King Charles III]], also partook to some degree in the country's political affairs whilst adhering to his position as a constitutional monarch.
His first notable achievement upon becoming king was the passing of the [[Succession to the Crown Act 1997]], which occurred following an agreement at a meeting among {{wp|Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth}} leaders to amend the pre-existing succession laws, particularly concerning the initial {{wp|Primogeniture|male-preference primogeniture}} system, which was subsequently replaced with that of an {{wp|Primogeniture|absolute primogeniture}} instead. The change in the succession laws, which had arisen following personal concerns over the possibility of the then heir presumptive, [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Princess Alexandra]] being replaced as heir by a subsequent younger brother was initially championed by the then {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Mother Lauren}} whom, with the support of William himself was able to successfully pressure the then {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|John Major}} and the other {{wp|Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth}} leaders into a unanimous agreement to amend the pre-existing succession laws, which had initially run under a {{wp|Primogeniture|male-preference primogeniture}} system. On May 11th that year, soon after {{wp|Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament}} had passed the [[Succession to the Crown Act 1997]], William himself notably declared, ''"A Commonwealth of the 20th and 21st centuries must never be one of an oppressive patriarchal nature, let alone one that denies the women of today an equal opportunity, whether by legal or illegal means"''.
On January 1998, William notably became the first high-ranking {{wp|British}} citizen to visit the {{wp|Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran}} where in a private meeting in the capital city of {{wp|Tehran}}, the King met with the {{wp|Iranian}} {{wp|Supreme Leader of Iran|Supreme Leader}}, {{wp|Ali Khamenei}}. He also met the {{wp|Chinese}} {{wp|President of the People's Republic of China|President}}, {{wp|Jiang Zemin}} later that February, followed by a subsequent visit to {{wp|Taiwan}} on the same month. His visit to both countries, whilst receiving great attention from international commentators was also seen as a symbolic diplomatic gesture due to the fact that a year prior, the {{wp|United Kingdom}} had ceded the territory of {{wp|Hong Kong}} to {{wp|China}} itself.
==Abdication==
During the final year of his reign, despite already being sixty seven years of age, William was consistently described as being a "generally healthy, and well-conditioned man", as he was notably credited for almost regularly playing a game of polo with the palace staff and his close associates during his free time, leading him to be known as the ''Polo King'' among his close circles. However, on October 6th, having just went back to his chambers alongside his {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|wife}}, the King unexpectedly collapsed onto his bed while the latter had gone inside the chambers' bathroom. Around a minute later, royal doctors were immediately summoned following signs of a weakened pulse, leading him to be transferred instead to a special room for an operation. At the same time, by his own {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|wife}}'s insistence, both the {{wp|British}} and {{wp|Pakistani}} governments agreed to preserve details of his operation, as to not jeopardise his [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|daughter]]'s then ongoing state visit to the {{wp|Pakistan}} itself. Following an initially successful operation, he was declared to be in a ''"mildly stable"'' condition but soon after, subsequent operations were also conducted which lasted until just hours before his daughter [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]]'s return from her state visit, during which he was declared to had fully recovered from his illness, which was subsequently recorded as a stroke, albeit privately. 
In light of the incident, William began seriously contemplating in an abdication, during which he made it known to the then {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Theresa May}}, whom he had specifically invited to {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} for the matter. Discussions between the two would continue until December 10th when in a coordinated manner, William first declared his abdication at 10:30 AM in a {{wp|BBC}} broadcast from {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} before an {{wp|Act of Parliament}} was granted {{wp|royal assent}} by the King himself, thereby effectively formalising his abdication. In his abdication speech, William chose not to publicly disclose the details of his illness leading to his abdication, having instead chosen to cite ''"ill-health and inability to sustain the continuation of royal duties"'' as his primary reasons for abdicating. He subsequently attended the coronation of his daughter and successor, [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]] whom later created the former king [[Duke of Hanover|''Duke of Hanover'']] in light of his abdication.
==Post-Abdication==
Following his abdication, William promptly took an initial period of rest for approximately five months before returning to his royal duties, now as a royal duke, albeit on a periodical basis. On May 2018, he embarked on a second state visit to {{wp|China}}, the first of which since his abdication, during which he reassured {{wp|Chinese}} premier {{wp|Xi Jinping}} of a sustained bilateral relationship between the two countries. On October of the same year, in an official broadcast from his residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, William called for the {{wp|Saudi}} ruler, {{wp|Salman of Saudi Arabia|King Salman}} of {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} to reprimand his officials believed to be involved in the attempted kidnapping of his daughter and successor, [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]]. While there had been no immediate response from the {{wp|Saudi}} government, the broadcast itself was largely praised by the {{wp|British}} public, though a minority of critics labelled the broadcast as an overstepping of the former King's royal duties.
==Marriage==
===Katharine Houghton===
As a result of his parents' rather hands-off approach in regards to his potential choice of marriage, William himself thus became consequently linked to a number of important women of the time, all of which were mostly either of {{wp|American}} or {{wp|British}} nationalities. During the early 1970s, William was at first popularly associated with that of the young and rising actress, {{wp|Katharine Houghton}}, whom he had personally known through his [[Charles III's of the United Kingdom|father]]'s close friend, famed actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, whom Charles was also deeply familiar with. Even so, in a manner apparently mimicking that of William's father's previous romantic relationship with {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} decades prior, the two generally dated in secrecy, with William himself being the one mostly travelling in private to {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}}'s {{wp|Connecticut}} residence, as the risks of the latter being spotted in public instead with the {{wp|British}} royal back in his native home country were deemed to be "concerning" and "destabilising". Nevertheless, despite the overwhelmingly positive waves of encouragement in their relationship coming from both sides, the two reportedly separated in private, with {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}} herself later disclosing in an interview that she felt "unready and just not destined to become a queen", as the actress would later marry William's similarly named [[Prince William of the United Kingdom|brother]], whom famously refused any ducal title following their marriage. In a subsequent development, he was then rumoured to have had harboured much interest in his second cousin through his paternal grandfather, the attractive [[Princess Hedy, Mrs. Bennington|Princess Hedy]], whom at the time was a junior {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic}} politician for the state of {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}. Amidst the lack of any credible evidence surrounding their relationship, the two were never acquainted with one another much further other than being mutually friendly cousins.
===Kim Cattrall===
From the early to mid-1990s, William was engaged in another romantic relationship, namely with the actress, {{wp|Kim Cattrall}}. Reportedly, around late 1991, while the prince was then on a personal vacation in {{wp|California}}, he would first meet {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} while the actress was in the midst of shooting for the sixth {{wp|Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country|Star Trek}} film. However, prior to the meeting itself, William was at first said to be mostly unaware of the film's existence, though this soon changed when under the guise of generating more publicity for the film by hoping to attract some form of endorsement from a notable member of the royal family, the film's director, {{wp|Nicholas Meyer}}, whom upon personally meeting with the prince himself, was able to subsequently convince the latter to pay a personal visit to the movie's own film set, thus leading to a subsequent meeting on the set with {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}}, during which the two were said to have seemed "almost immediately romantically invested in one another", which in turn led to the prince himself asking the actress out for a dinner later that night.
Soon after that, the two proceeded to continue their romantic relationship further, although, by William's own behest, their relationship initially proceeded in a state of relative secrecy, as to not bring too much attention to {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} herself. Nevertheless, in the following year, the two would formally appear together in the public eye for the first time ever when {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} was sighted being alongside the prince during his tour to the then recently established {{wp|Russian Federation}}, where the two publicly met and toured the country alongside then {{wp|Russian}} {{wp|President of Russia|President}}, {{wp|Boris Yeltsin}}. Soon enough, the couple was quickly received with much scrutiny by various media outlets around the world, with some of them already begun speculating on a possible marriage involving the two, whilst emphasising their apparent closeness with one another in the general public. However, in response to these rumours, {{wp|George Carey}}, the then {{wp|Archbishop of Canterbury}} proceeded to openly assert that the actress is "in no way or form" eligible to marry the prince herself, with the fact that {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}}'s own ex-husband, namely Andre J. Lyson being currently alive at the time cited by the archbishop as being against the teachings of the {{wp|Church of England}}, of which William is expected to become its supreme governor upon ascending to the {{wp|British}} throne himself, hence his expected obedience and general faithfulness to the {{wp|Church of England|Church}}'s teachings. Irrespective of this, around December 1992, {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} herself eventually gave birth to a daughter, [[Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom|''Victoria Cattrall'']] at the prince's family home in {{wp|Albany}}, {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, during which she was solely accompanied by William himself along with the doctors tasked by the prince to ensure a safe birthing process for both the actress and the newborn child. Then, when news of the child's birth was subsequently relayed in secret back to William's family in {{wp|London}}, it was almost immediately met in a rather negative light by William's parents, the [[Charles the Great|King]] and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen}}, both of whom were said to have initially considered strongly on having their eldest son be forcibly returned back to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, as to prevent the prince from engaging in any further romantic liaisons. 
===Princess Märtha Louise of Norway===
In the months following his separation, William was first introduced to the {{wp|Norwegian}} princess, {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise}}, whom was almost twenty years his junior, during a state visit to {{wp|Norway}}. Throughout the following months, the two decided to pursue a relationship, albeit in a private manner before they were officially wed in 1995. Though their marriage was partially received with despair as it was hoped that William was to marry a commoner, the wedding was nevertheless greatly received and publicised by both the {{wp|British}} and {{wp|Norwegian}} media. After only a few months into their marriage, their first child, the current [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]] was born. Through their respective ancestors, William and {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise}} are distant cousins as {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise}}'s {{wp|Princess Märtha of Sweden|grandmother}} was the sister of {{wp|Astrid of Sweden|Princess Astrid}} whom in turn, had married William's great uncle, the [[Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Duke of Clarence of Avondale]]. Furthermore, the similarities in their respective backgrounds were also extensively noted, as both William and {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise}} were royals born from a royal father and a commoner mother, although, unlike the latter's case, William's own mother had been that of a starkly different religion and nationality while {{wp|Princess Märtha Louise of Norway|Märtha Louise}}'s mother, {{wp|Sonja Haraldsen|Queen Sonja}} had strictly been of both {{wp|Norwegian}} birth and of the {{wp|Protestant}} faith herself.
Despite the glaring age difference of roughly two decades apart, the couple enjoyed a well-built marriage in which throughout the succeeding years, they received the birth of their twin sons, [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard]] and [[Prince Alistair, Duke of Edinburgh|Alistair]] and another daughter, named [[Princess Mary, Duchess of Sussex|Mary]].
==Personal Information==
==Titles & Honours==
*'''17 December 1950 - 7 July 1951''' ''His Royal Highness'' Prince William of Cambridge
*'''7 July 1951 - 22 July 1951''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Cornwall
*'''22 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of the Welsh
*'''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''' ''His Majesty'' The King of the British
*'''13 October 2017 - 22 December 2017''' ''His Royal Highness'' Prince William
*'''22 December 2017 - Present''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Hanover
==Honours==
====National & Commonwealth====
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Royal Family Order of King William V
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Royal Guelphic Order
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Order of St. George
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle​
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath​
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Distinguished Service Order
*{{flag|United Kingdom}} - Sovereign of the Williamite Cross
*{{flag|Canada}} - Sovereign of the Order of Canada
*{{flag|Australia}} - Sovereign of the Order of Australia
*{{flag|New Zealand}} - Sovereign of the Order of New Zealand
*{{flag|Barbados}} - Sovereign of the Order of Barbados
*{{flag|Saint Lucia}} - Sovereign of the Order of St Lucia
*{{flag|Solomon Islands}} - Sovereign of the Order of Solomon Islands
*{{flag|Belize}} - Sovereign of the Order of Belize
*{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}} - Sovereign of the Order of Antigua and Barbuda
*{{flag|St Christopher and Nevis|Saint Kitts and Nevis}} - Sovereign of the Order of St Christopher and Nevis
*{{flag|Grenada}} - Sovereign of the Order of Grenada​
*{{flag|Tuvalu}} - Sovereign of the Order of Tuvalu
*{{flag|Puerto Rico}} - Sovereign of the Order of Puerto Rico
====Foreign====
*{{flag|Spain}} - Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
*{{flag|Norway}} - Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St Olav
*{{flag|Norway}} - ​Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V
*{{flag|Norway}} - Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal
*{{flag|Norway}} - ​Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal
*{{flag|Sweden}} - Member of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
*{{flag|Sweden}} - Commander Grand Cross - of the Royal Order of the Sword
*{{flag|Denmark}} - Knight of the Order of the Elephant
*{{flag|Denmark}} - Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
*{{flag|Germany}} - Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
*{{flag|Japan}} - Collar and Grand Order of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
*{{flag|Japan}} - Golden Medal of Merit Japanese Red Cross
*{{flag|Japan}} - Golden Medal of Honorary Member of Japanese Red Cross
*{{flag|France}} - Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
*{{flag|Malaysia}} - Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm
*{{flag|China}} - Recipient of the Order of Friendship
*{{flag|Republic of China}} - Recipient of the Order of Brilliant Jade
====Military Appointments====
{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''3 June 1979 - 28 May 1980''': {{wp|Officer Cadet}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''28 May 1980 -  25 June 1982''': {{wp|Midshipman}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}}  '''25 June 1982 - 11 January 1984''': {{wp|Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''11 January 1984 - 5 May 1985''': {{wp|Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)|Lieutenant Commander}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''5 May 1985 - 20 September 1990''': {{wp|Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''20 September 1990 - 15 January 1997''': {{wp|Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': {{wp|Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom|Lord High Admiral}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''13 October 2017 - Present''': {{wp|Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''25 June 1982 - 3 June 1986''': {{wp|Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''3 June 1986 -  12 November 1990''': {{wp|Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''3 June 1986 -  15 January 1997''': {{wp|Major General (United Kingdom)|Major General}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': {{wp|Head of the British Armed Forces|Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''13 October 2017 - Present''': {{wp|Field Marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''5 June 1986 -  15 January 1997''': {{wp|Air Marshal}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''15 January 1997 - Present''': {{wp|Marshal of the Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flag|Canada}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|army}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Canadian Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|naval}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Canadian Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|air force}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Canadian Air Force}}<br/>
{{flag|Australia}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|army}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Australian Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|naval}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Australian Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|air force}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Australian Air Force}}<br/>
{{flag|New Zealand}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|army}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|New Zealand Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|naval}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal New Zealand Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|air force}} '''15 January 1997 - 13 October 2017''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal New Zealand Air Force}}<br/>
== Ancestry ==
{{ahnentafel
|width=100%|align=center|collapsed=yes
| boxstyle_1 = background-color: #fcc;
| boxstyle_2 = background-color: #fb9;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''William VI of the United Kingdom'''
| 2 = 2. [[Charles III of the United Kingdom]]
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}
| 4 = 4. [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom]]
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|William Perske}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Natalie Bacall}}
| 8 = 8. [[George V of the United Kingdom]]
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Princess Sophia of Prussia}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor}}
| 11 = 11. {{wp|Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein|Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg}}
| 12 = 12. {{wp|Zalman Perski}}
| 13 = 13. {{wp|Sheyna Yofa}}
| 14 = 14. {{wp|Max Weinstein}}
| 15 = 15. {{wp|Sophia Bacall}}
}}

Latest revision as of 09:57, 3 May 2024

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