As the son of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, very few children in the United Kingdom would have had quite a high-profile upbringing as the heir to the British throne: Prince William.
Now, at 43 years of age, he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, are very well adjusted to their royal roles, but it has been a long journey for the father-of-three, whose childhood was no doubt made difficult by the media scrutiny surrounding his parents' divorce when he was 14.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesIn an unearthed video from a photocall in the gardens of Kensington Palace back in 1984, we got a glimpse of the moment that a then-two-year-old William first seemed to become aware of the fact that he would be growing up in the spotlight.
See the video above to catch the moment Prince William became aware of his famous childhood…
In the clip, a toddler Prince William can be seen posing for the photographers with his mother, before kicking a ball around the garden with his father, then returning to the press to pose for them.
This is one of the earliest pieces of footage, if not the earliest, that we have of the future King being aware of his public-facing life.
Prince William's fears about what his 'children will inherit'
Now a father himself, Prince William has done everything he can to ensure that he is a hands-on father, and his children have been a motivating factor for many of his projects as a working royal.
© Getty ImagesIn November 2025, he spoke exclusively to HELLO! ahead of the year's Earthshot Prize, telling us about how his three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, motivate him.
"As a father, I think constantly about the world my children will inherit. I want them to grow up surrounded by nature, opportunity and a sense of hope about the future," Prince William explained. "But I also know that unless we act boldly now, that future is at risk. The Earthshot Prize is about turning the tide, about proving to our children that we are willing to fight for their tomorrow."
