These days, Prince William has a serious presence. In addition to being a husband, father of three, and the Duke of Cambridge, he’s the future King of England for crying out loud! Dude has an image to uphold — not to mention a grandma who may or may not be watching him more closely than other grannies.
But believe it or not, there was a time when William wasn’t as formidable as he is these days. In fact, there was a time when he just appeared like a regular guy — kind of.
Although William has never been one to be mistaken for an average Joe, looking back at old photos of him shows how far he’s come. Once upon a time, he was a coming-of-age guy who was often spotted hanging out outside posh London clubs. Then he got married and seemed to get a little more serious. Then he became a father to Prince George (followed by Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis), and that’s when things really changed. He seemed to become the man he was always meant to be.
And because of that exact reason, we love taking a walk down memory lane via old-school photos of the prince. From his university years to his wedding day to early fatherhood, here are 30 throwback photos of William. He’s really come into his own.
Let's Start Here
Um, hello throwback! There’s no denying it: William was a good-looking guy back in the day. Somehow, we have a hard time believing Kate Middleton didn’t have a picture of him hanging in her childhood room. Just look at him — especially with all of that hair! We definitely see Princess Diana’s traits shining through in these pics.
The Clubbing Days
To say we love this old photo of William and Kate is an understatement. They were babies and apparently enjoyed going out to the club from time to time. As posh and refined as the royals often have to be, it’s pretty great to see William like one of us commoners.
(Side note: It looks like William’s trying to “shhh” Kate. Wonder what was going on.)
Dudes' Day
Check out William and Prince Harry taking in the Rugby World Cup with some of their guy friends. (Ah, that was a time.) Given he wasn’t a dad yet — or a husband — something tells us he probably enjoyed long nights out that may or may not have included a beer or two. After all, beer and rugby do go together. (They have drink-ups after the game for a reason!)
Back in the Day
My, the differences a decade can bring! Check out how different William looked in 2008. We would say he looks unrecognizable compared to today, but we can so tell this is William. Then again, all of that hair, the Royal Air Force uniform, and that maybe “peace” sign he is subtly giving have him looking like a new man.
In Da Club
Alexa, play 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” Throwback! Once upon a time, William was quite the night owl who knew how to party it up and give no flips about having a good time. He’d be caught leaving clubs — sometimes as late as 4 a.m.
Wonder what he’ll do when George, Charlotte, and Louis want to get down and let loose. You know it’s going to happen!
Polo Players
Talk about twinning! If there’s one thing we love, it’s seeing not one, but two royal cuties rocking polo gear — and that’s actually something that’s happened a lot through the years, because these brothers love the sport. Check out a then-young William and an even younger Harry enjoying a game of polo. Dapper dudes from the get-go!
The Throaty Chuckle
What’s William charmingly chuckling at here? Is he trying to run game or just genuinely found something to make him laugh so hard, practically showing every tooth in his mouth. Whatever it is, we are here for it. We don’t really see William laughing that much anymore, so it’s good to look back on his younger days to see that he’s not as serious as many people think.
Out on the Town
He may have been trying to go incognito, but we’d recognize that smile anywhere. (Sorry, Wills, but a cap isn’t a sufficient disguise.) We cannot even imagine hopping on a plane (a commercial flight, no less), looking up, and seeing royalty just walk right on by.
Young Love
We really hope William and Kate have this photo framed in their house somewhere. Check out how William is looking at Kate so lovingly! These two have been lovebirds for some time, and it’s been so cool seeing their romance develop — from dating to marriage to becoming parents.
Oh, Hi
Suddenly, we feel the need for speed! Although Top Gun is more of a thing on this side of the pond, William is giving us all sorts of Tom Cruise vibes in this photo. These days, we’re used to seeing William in a suit, but once upon a time he often wore a uniform of a different kind.
Still, it gives us the feels to see England’s future king so young and going about his flight business.
Trooping the Colour
To be honest, it’s a little weird seeing William on the Buckingham Palace balcony without George, Charlotte, and Louis. But as with all moms and dads — or should we say mums and dads — we have a past that doesn’t include our kids. Just comparing Trooping the Colour photos from back in the day to now, William looks so well-rested in this throwback photo.
The Engagement Photo
Can anyone think back to how they looked during their engagement photo session — assuming one even happened in the first place? Or maybe someone took a photo after the big event to commemorate it? Regardless, this special moment in time for William and Kate is everything. They were so young and so in love!
Getting Their Sea Legs
Even though there’s no denying that William and Kate don’t look like the average couple here, they don’t look nearly as regal as they do today — and for good reason. Unless someone is Beyoncé and “woke up like this,” it takes time to fall into a new normal or routine. The Cambridges are definitely more polished now, and it’s likely because it took years for them to sync with the protocol.
Howdy
Although this doesn’t look to be a true (American) cowboy hat, it’s certainly a sight. Rarely do we see William rocking some head gear these days, making this 2011 snap of him in a hat truly unusual. We think he looks great and should consider head accessories more often.
College Vibes
This almost doesn’t even look like William! Crazy to think he was once just a college student like the rest of us. He and Kate both attended the University of St. Andrews, where he reportedly “achieved the second-highest honors,” graduating with a degree in geography. That’s pretty darn impressive, if you ask us.
Pre-Wedding Date
Believe it or not, this was just two weeks before William and Kate’s royal wedding in 2011. They’re starting to look uber-posh here — but not really — as both of their ensembles give us off-the-rack vibes, which is pretty relatable. Judging by this photo, William looks happy — possibly because he’s going to marry Kate in what would become an unforgettable wedding for the history books.
PDA Times
It’s crazy to think that, once upon a time, William and Kate were free-wheeling with their PDAs, but it totally happened! Althugh we don’t expect these two to have sultry PDA, it’s still cute to see them gush over each other (in their own way) in public. We don’t see it that much these days, but the spark still has to be there … right?
Polo Chic
Well, well, well. What do we have here? Oh, you know, just a prince taking a break during a polo game — no biggie! (Well, technically, there are two princes taking a break, as Harry is chatting to someone.) We don’t like using the word “never,” but it totally applies here as we never see William anymore not rocking some buttoned-up suit. We need more of this!
The Royal Wedding
Awww. Just look at this royal couple! All eyes were on Kate and William the day they got married. If only they knew what was coming: more responsibilities, babies, and millions of people across the world all up in their business on the daily.
Father & Son
Two future kings, hanging out together — and we almost didn’t recognize William with all that hair! This photo was taken at Prince Charles’ estate at Highgrove in 2000, when William was the ripe old age of 18. At this point, it’s doubtful that the teenager in this photo standing next to his dad had any idea what the future held for him.
Heartthrob Alert
It’s hard to picture it now, but back in the early 2000s and late 1990s, there were actually posters of William in teen magazines, and it was all because of photos like this one. It’s easy to see why Kate fell in love with him: This is one good-looking royal man!
Laughing With Granny
William and Queen Elizabeth have always had such a sweet relationship, and this photo truly illustrates why. This snap was taken in 2005, when William sat next to his grandmother at the Braemar Gathering, watching the Highland Games take place. It appears it was pretty fun for everyone involved.
A Regular College Student
When William was studying at St. Andrews, he was like any other college kid, and this photo proves it. Here he is, shopping for magazines, school supplies, and candy. (Even royals have a sweet tooth, it seems.) Most college students, however, aren’t reading The Economist.
Brotherly Love
Here’s another throwback to the time when William and Harry were inseparable. In 2007, they took this sweet photo together at an after-party following England’s World Cup. We never get to see these two at soirées having fun anymore, but this photo is a great reminder of the good old days.
A Bearded Prince
Remember when William had facial hair? Neither did we, because it was such a flash in the pan. These days, we can hardly imagine him with anything but a bare face, but there was a time in 2008 when William was sporting a beard. (We’re kind of getting Chris Evans vibes from him.)
Take a Hike
William has always been a fan of the outdoors, so it’s no surprise that, during one royal appearance in 2009, he was photographed on a hike in Cumbria. Carrying that backpack, he looks prepared for anything, and he even got to play with a few dogs along the way.
Anticipating the Wedding
This photo was taken in December 2010 — just months before William and Kate would tie the knot in April of the following year. Those grins on their faces say it all, really: These two have been so in love since the beginning. They both look incredibly young!
In Action as Dad
As we now know, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the summer of 2022 gave William the chance to show off his parenting chops, and we got to see plenty of pics of him in action, dadding it up. Here he is, explaining something about the parade to Louis and George, though neither of them looks impressed.
With the Big Kids
Because Louis is still too young to attend a lot of royal events, we most often see William with George and Charlotte, his oldest children. Here he is, raising the future King of England and the little girl who will grow up to hold the title of princess royal. So special!
Playing Around
From the more personal photos we’ve seen of William and his kids, it seems as if George, Charlotte, and Louis get to witness their dad’s goofy side on a regular basis. And if these giant grins on their faces are any indication, they absolutely love it. He’s grown up to be a wonderful dad indeed.
