June 21st: The Day Prince Wills Was Born

Prince William: Our Future King

Today the Duke of Cambridge hit the 30 year milestone! Apparently celebrating in a 'low-key' and 'private' fashion, Prince William is now catching up with his wife, Catherine Middleton, who turned 30 in January this year. This birthday is all the more significant to the Royal family, as it's a reminder of Wills' close position behind his father in the line of succession, and how much closer England is to getting a new King.
  William's past 30 years have been packed with excitement, hard-work, disaster, and euphoria; not to mention the swarm of paparazzi cameras following his every move. The traumatic death of his mother, Princess Diana of Wales, in August 1997 brought devastating effects to her sons, William and Harry. It was a loss which any 15 and 13 year old boys would greatly suffer, never mind with all the world watching. However, the tragedy of Diana's death drove the boys to live life as she would, revealing a more human side to the Royals. Prince William took a gap year and traveled around Chile, Belize, and Africa; going on to achieve a degree in Geography at the University of St. Andrews, where he met his wife Kate. Diana always aspired to give her sons a wider experience of society than previous Royals had had, by taking them to Disney World, MacDonalds, homeless shelters and AIDS clinics. The exposure to this "normal" way of living and their awareness of unfortunate people in their country improved their perception of Britain, and made the Royal family more accessible and appealing to the public. 

Wills and Kate

  Prince William's career in the RAF and the Search and Rescue Force demonstrates his desire for a hands-on approach, which is a warming prospect if he were to rule our nation in future. It was reported that when the Prince was 7 years old, he told his mother that when he was older he would be a police-officer so he could protect her. But his brother Harry replied: 'Oh, no you can't. You've got to be King.' Having achieved so much in only 30 years shows his potential for absolute success on the throne. In a combined effort it appears Wills, Harry and Kate have managed to re-brand the Royals, modernizing the family in the worlds of sport, fashion, and even partying. The Royal Wedding in April last year was exactly what the country needed to refresh our national identity and renew our enthusiasm for the Royal family. Although there are those who strongly oppose the monarchy system, I think it's fair to say that they are trying their best to put their elite status to one side, and get down with the people!