Prince William’s wedding Friday is the next step in his journey to becoming king, but Princess Diana’s eldest son has taken his time in getting married, and neither is he in any rush to take the throne. William has overcome the tragedy of his mother’s death when he was 15 to become the great hope of the British royal family in the 21st century. Opinion polls show a majority of the public want the 28-year-old to leapfrog his father Prince Charles in the order of succession and take the throne after Queen Elizabeth II. But such a move is highly unlikely and in any case, William has given no indication that he wants it anytime soon.
“Prince William wouldn’t thank you for making him king tomorrow or next year,” said Andrew Morton, whose book on Diana in 1992 revealed the extent of her loveless marriage to Charles. “Because everything he stands for is to live his life as normally as possible and to escape the steel trap of being head of state.” It was Diana’s wish that her sons lead as normal lives as possible, unlike his father Charles, who is steeped in tradition and surrounded by butlers and aides. “William cooks for himself, he makes his own bed. He behaves like a normal person and he seems to relish that,” said royal author Penny Junor. Born on June 21, 1982, seven days after the end of Falklands war ended, William, and his younger brother Harry, enjoyed a childhood infused with their mother’s sense of fun and a warmth that was lacking in their fathers.