William VI of the United Kingdom

Full name
	William Edward Charles

William VI
William VI
King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth Realms ;
Canada	1985-2017
Australia	1985-2017
New Zealand	1985-2017
Jamaica	1985-2017
Barbados	1985-2017
The Bahamas	1985-2017
Grenada	1985-2017
Papua New Guinea	1985-2017
Solomon Islands	1985-2017
Tuvalu	1985-2017
St. Lucia	1985-2017
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	1985-2017
Belize	1985-2017
Antigua and Barbuda	1985-2017
St. Kitts and Nevis	1985-2017
Puerto Rico	1985-2017
Reign	11 June, 1985 - 13 October, 2017
Coronation	25 August, 1985
Predecessor	Charles III
Successor	Alexandra
Born	William Edward Charles; 17 December 1950; Balmoral Palace, Scotland
Died	13 October 2017 (aged 66); Buckingham Palace, London
Burial	20 October 2017; Westminster Abbey, London
Spouse	Connie Nielsen ; (1989 - 1993, engaged); Märtha Louise of Norway (m. 1995)
Issue	Alexandra; Richard, Duke of Cleveland; Alistair, Duke of Edinburgh; Mary, Duchess of Sussex;
Full name
Full name
	William Edward Charles
House	Hanover
Father	Charles III
Mother	Lauren Bacall
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Branch/service	Royal Navy;
Years of service	1979-1983 (active service)
Battles/wars	The Troubles; Falklands War; Multinational Force in Lebanon

William VI (William Edward Charles; 17 December, 1950 - 13 October, 2017) was King of the United Kingdom from 1985 to 2017. He is known for his moderate approach towards the royal institution and has been credited for the success of several treaties between the United Kingdom and its respective allies in the wake of the end of the Cold War. He is also the father of the current Queen Alexandra.

Early Life

William was born on the 17th of December, 1950 to the then Charles, Prince of Wales and American actress Lauren Bacall. Around a year prior to his birth, his parents had arrived in Britain following their controversial marriage which had been approved by William's grandfather. He was also subsequently named, in order after his grandfather and father.

Though William's birth generated much publicity for the princely couple who had been facing skepticism from among the British public, the young prince's movements were confined almost exclusively to the gardens of his Scottish Balmoral Palace residence. Despite this seclusion however, William grew paradoxically close to his own parents, in particular his own mother who chose to raise her own children, preferring not to hire a governess as it had been the tradition. On July 1951, the one year old William became the Prince of Wales upon his father's ascension as king.

Prince of Wales

As the Prince of Wales, William frequently traveled alongside his parents in their state visits to allied countries, and as he was only a young child, extreme levels of security were a priority for whenever the young William would come along with his parents in their overseas trips. However, following an assassination attempt in 1953, the royal family withdrew to Canada where this time, he was allowed to freely interact with the common people to a certain extent. Like his grandfather, William greatly enjoyed the Canadian scenery, frequently indulging himself in physical activities, namely hunting and others.

Following their subsequent return to Britain, the royal family's standings had gradually improved, with the public showing a sizable amount of approval for their formerly resented king and queen.

Marriage

As William's parents had chosen a rather informal and morganatic approach to marriage, prospects of the young William in exemplifying his parents were largely encouraged. Consequently, William frequently indulged himself in events concerning the country's nobility and celebrity circles. Rumours of his alleged relationships with several prominent women became a common theme for local tabloids, but at the same time, neither were officially confirmed. However, from 1979 to 1985, the prince was in a lengthy relationship with Austrian-American actress Sybil Danning. The couple later peacefully separated over issues concerning work and residence. However, Danning herself briefly attended William's coronation ceremony on that very year.

In 1989, the royal palace announced the surprise engagement between William and a young Danish actress by the name of Connie Nielsen. The pair were generally public in their affair, with Nielsen seen frequently accompanying the king during his state visits. Regardless, the couple's relationship unexpectedly ended after only a three years long period of engagement, which was said to had been done in good faith, with Nielsen herself being made a viscountess shortly after their separation. This recent development however brought concerns over the question of his legitimate successor, as the king was already reaching into his 40's.

In the months following his separation, William was first introduced to the Norwegian princess Märtha Louise during his visit to Norway, the princess who is notably around twenty years his junior. Throughout the months, the two decided to pursue a relationship, albeit in a private manner before they were officially wed in 1995. Though this was seen as a slight disappointment against the hopes of the king in marrying a commoner, the wedding was greatly received and publicised by both the British and Norwegian medias. After only a few months into their marriage, their first child, the current Queen Alexandra was born.

Personal Information

Titles & Honours

17 December 1950 - 7 July 1951 His Royal Highness Prince William of Cambridge
7 July 1951 - 11 June 1985 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
11 June 1985 - 13 October 2017 His Majesty The King