Overview

• Prince William was born on June 21, 1982, at 9 PM at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, weighing 7 lb 1 oz after a 16-hour labour that saw doctors consider a Caesarean.
• Princess Diana gave birth standing up under guidance from natural childbirth activist Sheila Kitzinger, with Prince Charles supporting her throughout.
• Queen Elizabeth II reportedly quipped upon first meeting her grandson, “Thank goodness he hasn’t got ears like his father,” alluding to Charles’s prominent ears.
• He was christened on August 4, 1982, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace on the Queen Mother’s 82nd birthday, an occasion Diana later said left her feeling excluded.
• Known initially as “Baby Wales” and nicknamed “Basher Billy” at nursery, William was nonetheless raised with efforts to maintain a semblance of normal childhood under royal expectations.