The Queen marked The Duke of Cambridge's milestone 40th birthday with a joyous photo of her grandson beaming from ear to ear.
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Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, the royal family's verified account shared a candid snap along with the caption: "As the second in line to the throne turns 40, learn more about His Royal Highness." Her Majesty followed this up with eight additional photos taken at various stages in Prince William's life.
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Each throwback picture was accompanied by an insightful fact giving fans the chance to brush up on their royal knowledge.
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In one candid photo Diana, Princess of Wales could be seen cradling a newborn Prince William as they posed for press photos. The photo caption read: "He was born at 9.03pm on 21 June 1982, at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London."
The Queen marked Prince William's milestone 40th birthday
Other photos highlighted the Duke's remarkable life achievements from his graduation at St Andrew's University in June 2005, to his enchanting wedding to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.
Royal fans were quick to inundate the comments section with an abundance of upbeat birthday tributes, with one writing: "William is a wonderful asset to The Royal Family, just love how humble he is."
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Another added: "Happy Birthday Prince William, best wishes, and may God bless you. Thank you for your contribution to make the world a better place."
A third remarked: "I remember the day he was born. What an amazing man he’s become. Many happy returns Prince William."
A fourth penned: "Love this thread so much!!! Happiest of birthdays to our future King- we love you Wills!"
Prince Charles and Camilla also shared a series of candid photos
The post comes after Prince William marked his big day by throwing his support behind The Big Issue with an exclusive written piece for the social enterprise's magazine. He also joined vendor Dave Martin, 60, to sell copies of the magazine on the streets of west London.
He penned: "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."
The Duke continued: "I wanted to experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor. My time was truly eye-opening.
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"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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