Prince William at 34: Duke of Cambridge's marriage to Kate Middleton in pictures

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is the second in line to the throne and is celebrating his 34<sup>th birthday today (21 June). The keen football fan awoke in France after watching England's draw with Slovakia in Saint-Etienne. He is spending the first part of his birthday travelling back to the UK, it has been reported.

William is expected to spend the rest of the day in private after being reunited with his family, including his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and his two children, Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 1. Royal watchers have seen William evolve from a young heartthrob prince into an RAF Search and Rescue pilot, and then a family man, a dedicated husband and father.

William first met Kate Middleton while studying art history at St Andrews, and the pair became friends before embarking on a relationship in 2003. Though it was reported in 2007 that the couple had split, they subsequently rekindled their relationship and Middleton joined William on holiday and the royal family at public events.

Clarence House announced in November 2010 that the pair were to marry, having gotten engaged in Kenya in October. William gave Middleton an engagement ring that belonged to his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The wedding took place on 29 April 2011 in Westminster Abbey whereby Middleton wore a custom-made wedding dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

After a year of wedded bliss, the royal couple declared they would be parents for the first time in December 2012. Middleton gave birth to their son, Prince George, on 22 July 2013 in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital – the same place William was delivered.

Just over a year from the arrival of the new prince, it was announced that Kate was pregnant with her second child in September 2014. She was admitted to the Lindo Wing once again and gave birth to a daughter, Princess Charlotte, on 2 May 2015. William was present at both births.

William qualified as a pilot in April 2008 and served seven-and-a-half years of full-time service with the British Armed Forces until resigning in September 2013. He has since balanced being a husband and father with his royal duties.

Most recently, he made the breakthrough decision of being featured on the cover of gay publication Attitude.

It is understood that he has used the ground-breaking press opportunity to address the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths. The Duke has worked hard to support the fight against bullying, launching a cyberbullying taskforce to protect young people on social media, and meeting a group of LGBT people convened by Attitude magazine at Kensington Palace in May 2016.