Prince William Of Gloucester

Prince William of Gloucester (William Henry Andrew Frederick) was born on 18 December 1941 at Lady Carnarvon Nursing Home in Hadley Common, Hertfordshire. He was the elder son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. His paternal grandparents were King George V and Queen Mary, making Prince William a grandson of George V. He was a nephew of both King Edward VIII and King George VI, and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

His early childhood included residence at Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire and a period in Canberra, Australia, when his father served as Governor-General from 1945 to 1947. He was baptized at Windsor Castle in February 1942 by Archbishop Cosmo Gordon Lang, with several notable godparents, including King George VI and Queen Mary. Due to wartime restrictions, details of his christening were kept private and undisclosed publicly.

Prince William was educated at Wellesley House School in Broadstairs, Kent, and subsequently attended Eton College, where he participated in cricket and football. He graduated from Magdalene College, Cambridge, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1963, which was later upgraded to a Master of Arts (Cantab.) in 1968. He also studied political science, American history, and business at Stanford University during a post-baccalaureate year.

Professionally, Prince William joined the merchant bank Lazards after completing his education. He was the second member of the British royal family to serve in the civil or diplomatic service, following his uncle, Prince George, Duke of Kent. In 1965, he joined the Commonwealth Office, with postings to Lagos, Nigeria as third secretary at the British High Commission, and later to Tokyo as second secretary in the British Embassy.

In 1970, due to his father's declining health following strokes, he resigned from his diplomatic position to manage his family's estate at Barnwell Manor and to undertake royal duties. During this period, he represented the Queen at Tongan celebrations marking the end of Tonga's protected state status. His involvement in public service included patronages such as the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain, the British Schools Exploring Society, and the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, as well as active participation in St John Ambulance, where he served as President.

Prince William of Gloucester was diagnosed with porphyria, a hereditary condition thought to have contributed to previous illnesses in the royal family, including George III. He was examined by physicians in England and Japan, with diagnoses indicating variegate porphyria, which was in remission at the time.

He was known for his adventurous pursuits, including flying Piper aircraft, trekking in the Sahara, and hot air ballooning. His personal relationships included a notable romance with Zsuzsi Starkloff, a Hungarian model and stewardess, whom he met in 1968 in Japan. Though their relationship was subject to speculation within the royal family, it was considered serious. Later, he was involved with Nicole Sieff, a divorcee with two children.

On 28 August 1972, Prince William died at the age of 30 in a plane crash while piloting a Piper Cherokee during an airshow competition at Halfpenny Green near Wolverhampton. The aircraft banked steeply after takeoff under changing wind conditions, crashed, and caught fire in front of approximately 30,000 spectators. His death marked the first time a grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary died, and his remains were interred at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore.

At the time of his death, his estate was valued at approximately £416,001. His younger brother, Prince Richard of Gloucester, succeeded to his peerages and became heir apparent. The school he opened in 1971 in Oundle was renamed Prince William School in his memory.