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{{Infobox royalty
| name          = William VI
| title          = [[Duke of Hanover|Duke of Hanover]]
| image          = NoG.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}}}}
| 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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| 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|Christy Turlington}}|14 June 1995}}
| issue                = {{plainlist|* [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge]]
* [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]]
* [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard, Duke of Cleveland]]
* [[Prince Nicholas, Duke of Edinburgh|Nicholas, 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  = 1979-1997 (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 15 January 1997 to 13 October 2017. In 1995, he married the {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}} with whom he has four children: [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]], [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard]], [[Prince Nicholas, Duke of Edinburgh|Nicholas]], 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, and lastly, by the {{wp|2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 Brexit referendum}}, in which the Remain vote prevailed with a 58% majority.
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. Eventually, in June 1995, he married {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}}, with whom he has four children, namely [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]], [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard]], [[Prince Nicholas, Duke of Edinburgh|Nicholas]], and [[Princess Mary, Duchess of Sussex|Mary]]. In addition to that, he is also the father of the acclaimed {{wp|English}} broadcaster and journalist, [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge]] (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 {{wp|Queen Victoria}} respectively 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 to and influenced by both of his parents, both of whom were former actors and actresses themselves respectively. 
Due to his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|mother}} having been born {{wp|Jewish}} herself, William is thus 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, followed by his eldest child and successor, the reigning [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]].
==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 during 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 gone back to his chambers alongside his {{wp|Christy Turlington|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|Christy Turlingtony|wife}}'s insistence, any knowledge of the incident was kept secret from spreading outside of the palace itself, as to not force an immediate return for their daughter, [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]] from her university. Following an initially successful operation, he was declared to be in a "mildly stable" condition but soon afterwards, subsequent operations were also conducted which lasted until just hours before his daughter [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]]'s return from her university, during which he was declared to had fully recovered from his illness, which was subsequently noted to have been a stroke but was otherwise kept secret from public knowledge. 
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 soon afterwards made her father [[Duke of Hanover|''Duke of Hanover'']] as his post-abdication title.
==Post-Abdication==
Ever since his abdication took effect in October 2017, William has largely devoted his interests ever since towards philanthropy, having established the '''Charles & Lauren Peace Foundation''' himself in December 2017, aswell as towards the field of international relations. On February 2018, he held his second overall state visit (his first as the [[Duke of Hanover|''Duke of Hanover'']]) to the {{wp|China|People's Republic of China}}, meeting the country's incumbent {{wp|President of the People's Republic of China|President}}, {{wp|Xi Jinping}}, with whom he subsequently toured a particular university in the capital city of {{wp|Beijing}}, which was built in 1991 following the former's initial state visit to the country two decades prior. Nevertheless, amidst allegations and rumours accusing him of having "pro-{{wp|Chinese}} sentiments", William himself has largely been personally active in calling for an end to the ongoing {{wp|China–United States trade war|trade war}} involving the two countries. In a March 2018 op-ed for {{wp|The New York Times|''The New York Times''}}, he wrote that "the ongoing trade war going on at this very moment is nothing different than the {{wp|Cold War}} conflict that terrorised the world throughout much of the previous 20th century". Afterwards, on May 9th 2018, in response to the {{wp|American}} government's withdrawal from the {{wp|Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action}} agreement, William himself took to personally criticising the decision, while also echoing his [[Charles the Great|late father]]'s proposed vision of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s overall foreign policy theme, as he subsequently referred to the decision as "a clear wake-up call for {{wp|Britain}}'s people and administrators to once more seek to chart their own path forward towards making the world a better place for all, with or without the help of the {{wp|United States of America}}". Soon afterwards, although he was criticised by some for inserting himself into politics, a move which was largely disallowed among members of {{wp|British}} royalty, his words were otherwise positively received by some groups aswell, with Amelie Chambers of {{wp|The Independent|''The Independent''}} writing that "the Duke's words could never be truer for every living {{wp|Brits}} waking up to the reality of an uncharacteristically brash and a rogue ally in the form of the {{wp|United States of America}}".
Following the onset of the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}}, William, whom along with other members of the {{wp|British}} royal family, has since taken to largely restricting their usual activities indoors, although, much like his fellow family members themselves, the Duke has also personally paid a number of visits to various healthcare facilities across the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, while also emphasising the importance of {{wp|COVID-19}} safety protocols, aswell as vaccinations. 
==Marriage==
===Katharine Houghton===
[[File:GWC.jpg|thumb|Actress, {{wp|Katharine Houghton}} alongside co-star, {{wp|Sidney Poitier}} in the 1967 film, {{wp|Guess Who's Coming to Dinner|''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner''}}]]
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 great of a concern for either side. Nevertheless, amidst the overwhelmingly positive encouragement in favour of their marriage, neither William nor {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}} ultimately agreed on a mutual basis to ever pursue a marriage together, with {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}} herself later marrying William's similarly named [[Prince William of the United Kingdom|younger brother]] instead, thus effectively making the actress William's own sister-in-law herself.
Irrespective of this, both William and {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}} would both go on to afterwards remain close friends with one another throughout the following decades, so much so that {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}} would later be referred to by several media outlets as "the third princess", in alluding to the general state of closeness between the actress and her two respective sister-in-laws, namely [[Catherine, Princess Royal]] and [[Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Albany|Alexandra, Duchess of Albany]].
Irrespective of this, William would later go on to be associated with a number of other notable names at the time, which included actresses, {{wp|Raquel Welch}}, {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}}, and {{wp|Jane Seymour}}, aswell as several royal princesses, with the most notable being {{wp|Caroline, Princess of Hanover|Princess Caroline of Monaco}}.
===Kim Cattrall===
[[File:StarTrekKC.jpg|thumb|Actress, {{wp|Kim Cattrall}} in the 1991 film, {{wp|Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country|''Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country''}}, playing the role of ''Valeris'']]
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 been almost immediately romantically invested in one another, which in turn led to the prince reportedly asking the actress out for a dinner later that night. Later on, the late actor, {{wp|Christopher Plummer}}, whom starred alongside {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} in the movie himself, went on to describe the couple as "a pair of sick lovebirds", while also claiming that whenever {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} herself was not involved in a particular scene, she would always be seen only talking to the {{wp|British}} royal himself, so much so that William was then supposedly nicknamed by the crew as "the posh {{wp|John Lennon}}", in a reference to the somewhat similar degree of fascination held by the {{wp|American}} public towards the late {{wp|English}} {{wp|John Lennon|singer}} present in the actress's own immediate infatuation with the {{wp|British}} royal.
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}}, then a rising actress 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 for 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, due to 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}}, an institution 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. Nevertheless, around December 1992, {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} herself eventually gave birth to a daughter, [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|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 back in general secrecy to William's family in {{wp|London}}, it was said to have been received rather poorly by the prince's parents, the [[Charles the Great|King]] and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen}}, with the [[Charles the Great|King]] himself being quick to reportedly chastise the prince in an allegedly heated phone call between the two men, while then {{wp|British}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|John Major}} reportedly demanded the prince to immediately return back to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, while both {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} herself and the couple's illegitimate newborn [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|daughter]] were otherwise forbidden to do so themselves under the guise of "national security".
[[File:VIC.png|thumb|left|[[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge]], William's illegitimate daughter with actress, {{wp|Kim Cattrall}}]]
However, when the prince promptly refused to comply with the {{wp|John Major|Prime Minister}}'s aforementioned demand to immediately return to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} without the two Cattralls, and even subsequently threatened to leak the issue to both the {{wp|American}} and {{wp|British}} media, both William and {{wp|John Major|Major}} opted to subsequently enter into a series of secret negotiations, which eventually established that both {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} and their shared daughter, [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria]] would each be granted the title of ''Lady'' for themselves as opposed to an actual royal title due to the child having been born out of wedlock, along with being provided a considerable amount of financial aid by the {{wp|British}} royal family meant to better alleviate the family of two's financial situation. Nevertheless, despite an agreement being conclusively reached between the two sides, William himself opted to mostly remain in the {{wp|United States}} for roughly the next two years or so, before eventually going on to marry his current wife, the {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}}.
Later on, according to {{wp|Kim Cattrall|Cattrall}} herself, William continued to remain actively involved to some degree in his illegitimate daughter's upbringing, as he was often said to had both visited and spent a considerable amount of personal time with a young [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria]], whom William would also occasionally bring along with him back to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, as to expose the young child to her {{wp|British}} royal relatives living on the other side of the {{wp|Atlantic Ocean}}. Eventually, beginning from the year 2003, both Cattralls began to appear more publicly and frequently alongside William and the {{wp|British}} royal family, with the earliest instance being on that year's {{wp|Christmas Day}}, which was briefly marked by controversy when the {{wp|British}} tabloid newspaper, {{wp|The Sun (United Kingdom)|''The Sun''}} first published a sighting of the {{wp|Kim Cattrall|actress}} and a ten year old [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria]] joining the members of the royal family in celebrating {{wp|Christmas Day}} that year. Then, in also marking his illegitimate daughter's 10th birthday celebrations that year, an event which took place just five days after the {{wp|Christmas}} celebrations, William promptly issued a decree whereby the ten year old [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria]] would finally be recognised as a {{wp|Princess of the United Kingdom}}, along with the accompanying title of "{{wp|Royal Highness|Her Royal Highness}}".
Later on, around February 2019, in recognition of her general success relating to her journalistic career, [[Princess Victoria, Duchess of Cambridge|Victoria]] herself was eventually made ''Duchess of Cambridge'' by William's eldest legitimate daughter, the reigning [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]], whom is otherwise four years the duchess's junior.
===Christy Turlington===
[[File:PradaBlack.jpg|thumb|left|{{wp|Christy Turlington}} at the Christian Lacroix Spring Summer 1994]]
In 1994, while attending an exclusive gala at the {{wp|French}} capital city of {{wp|Paris}}, William, whom was then among the many attendees at the event was first introduced to the established {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}} by a mutual acquaintance there. The couple, whom was said to have afterwards engaged in a "long and intimate conversation with one another", was then reported to have almost immediately left the gala itself aswell, thereby prompting speculations of an actual romance materialising between them, with the {{wp|American}} press in particular being quick to speculate on the true nature of the couple's relationship.
Then, sometime around October 1994, following a leak in which the {{wp|British}} tabloid newspaper, {{wp|The Sun (United Kingdom)|''The Sun''}} made public a series of photographs depicting both the prince and the supermodel being physically intimate with one another, the couple themselves, in response to the leaks, soon took to jointly suing the tabloid newspaper itself, whom they specifically accused of having committed an "invasion of privacy". The case, which was immediately subjected to intense media coverage by the {{wp|British}} press due to both the prince and {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}}'s equally high personal statuses, notably lasted for a roughly week long in total, before a verdict itself was ultimately reached, which saw the couple being compensated with approximately £50,000 by the tabloid newspaper, whom in turn also agreed to withhold any further publications of the aforementioned photographs aswell. At the same time, the leak itself proved to be a source of considerable backlash from the {{wp|British}} establishment, some of whom had then insisted for the relationship itself to be immediately terminated, since {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}}'s contrastingly {{wp|Catholic}} faith meant that William himself would be forced to cede his rights of succession to the throne, along with his given title of ''Prince of Wales'' aswell, as per the {{wp|Royal Marriages Act 1772}}. However, in December the same year, an announcement made by {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} revealed that {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}} herself had agreed to convert to {{wp|Anglicanism}}, in what was then seen as a step towards effectively legitimising the couple's planned marriage, without also specifically jeopardising William's own standing as heir apparent to his [[Charles the Great|father]] aswell. At the same time, while {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}} herself would ultimately go on to become the second royal {{wp|British}} consort to both being formerly of the {{wp|Catholicism|Catholic}} faith after the 19th century {{wp|Carlota of Mexico|Queen Charlotte}}, and also the second royal {{wp|British}} consort of common background after her mother-in-law, {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}}, she is otherwise the very first royal {{wp|British}} consort to have ever been of {{wp|Hispanic}} descent, due to {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}}'s mother having hailed from the predominantly {{wp|Catholicism|Catholic}} {{wp|El Salvador}} in {{wp|Central America}}.
[[File:B55.jpg|thumb|The "big five" supermodels: {{wp|Cindy Crawford}}, {{wp|Linda Evangelista}}, {{wp|Naomi Campbell}}, {{wp|Christy Turlington}}, and {{wp|Tatjana Patitz}}]]
While this announcement itself was almost received rather positively by a majority of the {{wp|British public}}, then {{wp|Briitsh}} {{wp|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|John Major}} himself also took to commending the couple for the decision, stating that "she (Turlington) will make a wonderful and promising queen of ours in the near future". However, on the other hand, some local media outlets were also said to have been rather critical of the couple itself, with {{wp|The Times|''The Times''}} in particular then publicly opposing any prospects of marriage involving the two, claiming that {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}}'s past modelling history was "incompatible with the values of a future queen consort", while also claiming that the nineteen years age gap between the two was a "recipe for a disastrous marriage". Surprisingly enough, it was soon announced that {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}} herself was indeed retiring from the modelling industry, a decision which the supermodel would afterwards persistently claim to have been driven by her own desire to retire at a rather early age herself, as opposed to later claims suggesting that she had done so instead under the influence of the {{wp|British royal family}}.
Eventually, on June 14th 1995, the couple was married at {{wp|Westminster Abbey}}, with William's younger brother, also named [[Prince William of the United Kingdom|William]] serving as his sole groomsman for the wedding while on the other hand, {{wp|Christy Turlington|Turlington}} herself opted to have her fellow "big five" supermodels instead, consisting of {{wp|Cindy Crawford}}, {{wp|Linda Evangelista}}, {{wp|Naomi Campbell}}, and lastly, {{wp|Tatjana Patitz}} as her bridesmaids instead. Then, just days after their June 14th wedding, the couple subsequently embarked on a two month long honeymoon to the {{wp|Caribbean}} country of the {{wp|Dominican Republic}}, where its much acclaimed beaches the couple reportedly frequented on a daily basis, along with holding several closed door meetings with the then {{wp|President of the Dominican Republic}}, {{wp|Joaquín Balaguer}}.
Just a year afterwards into their marriage, the couple would then welcome the birth of their first child together, the current [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Queen Alexandra]], followed by the twin births of both [[Prince Richard, Duke of Cleveland|Richard]] and [[Prince Nicholas, Duke of Edinburgh|Nicholas]] just two years later, before finally concluding with the birth of the youngest child, [[Princess Mary, Duchess of Sussex|Mary]] in 2003.
====Comparison to the Trumps====
Following the appointment of real estate mogul, {{wp|Donald Trump|Donald J. Trump}} and former {{wp|Slovene}}-{{wp|American}} model, {{wp|Melania Trump}} as the {{wp|President of the United States|President}} and {{wp|First Lady of the United States}} on January 2017, both William and his wife, the {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}} were quickly subjected to numerous and almost frequent comparisons to the presidential couple themselves, with one {{wp|The Daily Beast|''The Daily Beast''}} article referring to the royal couple as the "Trumps but {{wp|British}}", with various commentators noting on how William and the then {{wp|Donald Trump|President}} were both born in the same decade with only a few years apart, while their respective wives, {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}} and former {{wp|Slovene}}-{{wp|American}} model, {{wp|Melania Trump}} were also born in the same decade aswell, albeit with only a year apart separating the two women.
Eventually, during an interview held just several days after the January 6th pro-{{wp|Donald Trump|Trump}} {{wp|2021 United States Capitol attack|riot}} at the {{wp|United States Capitol}} in {{wp|Washington D.C.}}, William himself eventually rebuked said comparisons, claiming that the comparisons were "mere coincidences and not exclusive at all in nature", claiming that "just any powerful man can be married to a fashion model aswell". On the other hand, the {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Katharine Houghton}}, whom is William's own sister-in-law and also the latter's close childhood friend aswell otherwise criticised the comparisons herself, claiming instead that the {{wp|British}} royal was "simply incomparable to {{wp|Donald Trump}} in terms of their relationships with women in general", while also arguing that William himself has never been known to have possessed any personal views that are "wholly repulsive" and "maliciously extreme in nature", as opposed to the {{wp|Donald Trump|latter}} whom has consistently aroused much controversy himself from his own personal views that are considered by many to be {{wp|homophobic}}, {{wp|sexist}}, and {{wp|racist}} in general. Around the same time, an opinion poll ran by {{wp|The Guardian|''The Guardian''}} newspaper which questioned readers on which of the two men's respective wives do they believe would be a "promising and commendable first lady" instead saw the {{wp|American}} supermodel and William's wife, {{wp|Christy Turlington}} herself receiving a score of 89% to {{wp|Melania Trump}}'s 11%.
==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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