On Father’s Day, a look at Prince William as a dad of three

Prince William, heir to the British throne, lives a privileged life that is alien to most. But when it comes to parenting, the king-in-waiting is rather relatable.

The 43-year-old, who turns 44 on Father’s Day, shares Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, with his wife, Princess Kate.

From dad-dancing at a Taylor Swift concert to seemingly falling asleep in public, let’s take a look at the future monarch’s five most down-to-earth moments.

1. Dad-dancing at Taylor Swift’s London concert

One of the most iconic moments in modern royal history came in the form of three words: “Shake it Off.”

Prince William couldn’t help but showcase his dad-dancing at a Taylor Swift concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in June 2022. Swifties in the audience were quick to capture the moment and post it to social media, so the rest of the world could witness the future king shimmying to the singer’s hit song.

The next day, Swift sent the internet into a collective frenzy when she posted a selfie of herself and fiancé Travis Kelce alongside Prince William and his two eldest children, George and Charlotte.

2. Falling asleep (or was he resting his eyes?) in public

In April 2018, days after the birth of his youngest child, Prince Louis, William appeared to fall asleep during a church service. Footage of the moment quickly went viral, with many relating to the extreme tiredness that coincides with the birth of a baby.

“A prince or not, having a newborn is exhausting,” wrote one TikTok user at the time. “Bless him, all parents know that feeling,” wrote another.

William was photographed sitting alongside his brother, Prince Harry, and his then fiancée, Meghan Markle, just a month before the pair were married.

The royal, who was seen repeatedly blinking before jolting awake, was attending the annual ANZAC Day service at London’s Westminster Abbey, which is held to commemorate Commonwealth soldiers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada who served and died in wars and peacekeeping operations.

3. Getting familiar with the car seat

After becoming a father for the first time in 2013, Prince William’s focus as he left the hospital with his wife and son was on transporting the new arrival home safely.

As the world’s media gathered outside St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, the prince exited, carrying Prince George in a car seat, which he quickly secured inside the car. Many social media users said at the time they were impressed by how quickly William installed the car seat, especially since it was his first rodeo.

Princess Kate later revealed that William had spent time practicing for that precise moment by strapping a doll inside the car seat.

4. Taking his son to sporting events

Many parents and their children bond over sport and Prince William and his eldest son, George, are no exception. The two future kings frequently attend football matches together, watching on nervously from the stands.

Prince William is an avid Aston Villa fan and also serves as the Patron of the Football Association, the governing body of English football.

While he has long expressed hope that his children will support the same team as he does, he told Britain’s TNT Sports last year that he is “genuinely open to whoever they support,” though he admitted that taking them along with him to Villa games might help influence their decision.

“I’m a bit biased, but also they come to Villa games so they’re probably going to support Villa,” he said.

5. Wanting to break generational trauma

Becoming a parent is a rollercoaster of emotions that sometimes prompts people to reflect on their own upbringings and childhood memories. Prince William offered a more vulnerable side when he discussed the life-changing event of becoming a father for a BBC documentary in 2020, admitting the journey is not always easy.

“It’s one of the most amazing moments of life, but it’s also one of the scariest,” he said, as he opened up about his mental health.

“I think when you’ve been through something traumatic in life, and that is like you say, your Dad not being around, my mother dying when I was younger, the emotions come back, in leaps and bounds.”

In an interview with actor Eugene Levy at Windsor Castle last year, William recalled growing up amid “insatiable” media coverage and expressed hope his children would not experience the same level of intrusion.

“They wanted every bit of detail they could absorb, and they were in everything, literally everywhere,” the prince said. They would know things, they’d be everywhere.”

Prince William added, “If you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family.”