The Royal Family Shared Sweet Messages for Prince William’s 40th Birthday

Prince William turns 40 today! Members of the British royal family have taken to social media to celebrate and honor the future king.

William’s father, Prince Charles, and his stepmother, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, sent their wishes to the Duke of Cambridge through their Clarence House social media accounts. “Wishing The Duke of Cambridge a very happy 40th birthday!” they wrote along with a cake and balloon emoji. The celebratory posts lovingly included pictures of baby William along with his father Charles, and a few of William as an adult:

The Royal Family’s official Twitter also made sure to wish William a happy birthday with a heartwarming thread, which began with a current photograph of the Duke.

“Happy Birthday to The Duke of Cambridge! As the second in line to the throne turns 40, learn more about His Royal Highness,” the royal family wrote as they shared a brief timeline of William’s life. The thread highlighted a series of key events in William’s life, beginning with him as a newborn with his parents Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

“Prince William Arthur Philip Louis is the elder son of The Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. He was born at 9.03pm on 21 June 1982, at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London,” the tweet read. In the next photo, the Queen beams at him proudly as he stands with his diploma from St Andrew's University:

The birthday tribute then continues with a photo from Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton, followed by a newly released photograph of William with his children — Prince George, Prince Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and concludes with William's several charitable and philanthropic efforts regarding the environment and mental health.

On Instagram, the Royal Family’s account shared a tribute that included several photos of William throughout his life, specifically highlighting his relationship with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth:

Prince William made sure to comment on the outpouring of birthday wishes he’s received today, writing on his social media, “Thank you for all the happy birthday messages today!” He signed the message “W” for William.

William also took the time on his fortieth birthday to spotlight a cause close to his heart: combating homelessness.

Ahead of the milestone birthday, he took to the streets of London to sell copies of the Big Issue Magazine. In an essay in the magazine, William wrote, “I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem. In the 30-odd years since, I’ve seen countless projects in this space grow from strength to strength.”

“I wanted to experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor,” he continued. “My time was truly eye opening. I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I’m turning 40, even more than I have in the past. So, for my part, I commit to continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come.”

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