A Bunch of Rare Photos of Young Prince William Wearing a Speedo and Whatnot

Once upon a time, before Prince William was wandering around in velvet jackets, he was a carefree youth. The wind was beneath his wings! The world was his oyster! And at one point, he even wore a speedo in public!

Yep, for those of you who are new to the royal fandom, Prince William hasn’t always been George, Charlotte, and Louis’ dad. There was a time when he was mainly known as the late Lady Di’s eldest son, big brother to the younger, more scandal-prone Prince Harry. And at the risk of making of mockery of the monarchy, Prince William, with his golden locks and easy grin, was the hot one! While a few of those biographical details remain true (I think we can all agree that Prince Charles is the hot one now), Prince William’s public persona has understandably changed a bit as he’s gotten older. Now he’s the loyal husband to Kate Middleton (forget that whole “rural rival” drama) and adult man who refuses to put his dance moves away.

Anyway, yeah, we got our hands on a ton of rare pics of the Duke of Cambridge through the years, and all I can say is you’re truly welcome. Please note that my personal favorite photo from this collection is—well, actually, it’s a tie—it’s either Wills inexplicably carrying a large piece of lumber or the one of him meeting Rita Ora. Don’t make me choose!