Prince William - An Updated Biography Quiz

Answer: William Arthur Philip Louis

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born on June 21, 1982 at St. Mary's Hospital in London. The name William hails back to William the Conqueror, while Arthur of course references the legendary King Arthur - who most likely was not a historical figure, even without the embellishments of legend. Philip was the first name of his paternal grandfather, the father of King Charles III and husband to Queen Elizabeth II. Louis - pronounced the French way, with the "s" silent - was never the name of an English or British monarch, but Louis the Lion, later Louis VIII of France, came close to deposing John Lackland in 1216.

Answer: False

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, was born in 1984, but his actual given names are Henry Charles Albert David, the first two being names of English kings of the past, while Albert was the prince-consort of Queen Victoria. David is the patron saint of Wales.

While still in line to the throne, Prince Harry ranks behind William's children in fifth position and largely abandoned his status as an active member of the Royal family in the early 2020s.

Answer: His wife

The general rule is that two immediate successors to the throne can't be on the same aircraft nor can the monarch and any immediate successor, to prevent a crash from killing several successors, or the King and one of his closest heirs. This rule is, however, not strictly enforced - William travelled with his children multiple times. Each such instance, however, requires special dispensation by the King.

Answer: left

Neither King Charles nor any of the other successors to the throne are lefties, but several notable members of the Royal family were: Queen Victoria, Elizabeth the Queen Mother and King George VI were all left-handed as well.

Answer: Manor House

He lived there with some fifty other students and he was the only student given a private room.

Answer: Geography, Upper Second Class Honours

One might think that a Royal heir was restricted to studying a subject deemed "useful" for a head of state and, in many cases, that happened. William was allowed to freely choose his major and originally went with art history but switched to geography and wrote his thesis about coral reefs.

His grade places him in the top half of students but not in the top ten percent - the scale at British universities is first class, upper second class, lower second class, third class (all "honours") and an ordinary pass, the latter of which is really "just scraped by" - and third class honours isn't that honorable either.

Answer: Major

William served in the armed forces from 2006 to 2013, switching service branches during the time. He acquired a regular commission from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, but later mostly served in the Air Force. In 2012, he gained the qualification to fly as commanding pilot (he flew as co-pilot prior to that time) and held the rank of Flight Lieutenant, equivalent to an army captain. From 2013 to 2017, he flew civilian ambulance and rescue helicopters and, as a result, was also promoted to the next higher rank of Squadron Leader.

His officer's commission is valid in all branches of the armed forces, so he can be addressed as Major (army) and Lieutenant Commander (navy) as well.

Answer: False

While the heir apparent to the British throne automatically gains a variety of titles, the most notable of which are the Duke of Cornwall and the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, this does not apply to the title of Prince of Wales. This particular title has to be conferred by the ruling monarch. King Charles III did not, however, hesitate to confer this title on his eldest son and did so the day after becoming king.

Answer: No

Upon acceding to the throne, King Charles III expanded the number of counsellors to seven from the normal five, because two of the counsellors (Prince Harry and Prince Andrew) do not actively serve in the Royal family. Each counsellor is allowed to perform duties normally reserved to the monarch to the extent laid out in a letter patent. For many of these duties, however, multiple counsellors are required and, in addition, there are a few special authorities that can be delegated only at the explicit order of the monarch. William's first public appearance as counsellor was during the opening of Parliament, May 2022, where he deputized for his father, who was, at that time, delivering the Queen's speech in lieu of Elizabeth II.

Answer: Earthshot Prize

The Earthshot Prize is available in five categories, related to climate, waste, air, oceans and nature respectively. It was first awarded in 2021. In each category, three initiatives are nominated from which one winner is chosen. The awards are not decided by William but rather by a council that includes such diverse people as the Queen of Jordan, representatives of the main sponsors, environmentally active celebrities as well as activists from groups such as Fridays for Future.