Who is Prince William?

STORY: Following the death of his beloved 'Grannie', and the accession of his father, King Charles, Prince William now finds himself next in line to Britain’s throne.

He is the heir apparent, with his eldest son George, second in line.

While the Queen was still alive, Prince William and his wife Kate routinely emerged in polls as the second-most liked royals after the reigning monarch.

And many view him as a hopeful symbol of the modern monarchy.

(Charles Rae, Former royal correspondent at The Sun) ‘’I think an awful lot rests on William's shoulders for the future of the monarchy."

So, let’s take a closer look at Prince William’s role now.

After his grandmother died, Prince William – aka the Duke of Cambridge – was made the Prince of Wales by his father, King Charles – a title he himself held since he was nine years old…and one which he later shared with his late wife Diana.

(King Charles) "With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given."

In the days after the queen's death, William has been much in evidence.

He was picked to witness his father's historic accession and proclamation ceremonies.

And to the surprise of many, he strode out with his brother Harry and their partners to greet mourners at Windsor Castle, a sign they may have overcome their recent estrangement.

In 2017, Prince William announced he would step down from his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot to become a full-time royal.

Before that, he served in Britain’s armed forces from 2006 until 2013.

The prince has since shaken off the 'work-shy Wills' nickname British tabloids once gave him, and William and Kate have enjoyed highly positive media coverage in recent years as one of the world's most glamorous couples with Hollywood star appeal.

Charles Rae, Former royal correspondent at The Sun:

''But William is the key person because William is going to be king one day and he, when you see him and when he has a chat with the media and when he speaks to the media, it's all very friendly. And of course, he's got one of the greatest weapons on his side is Catherine. You know, she's fantastic.''

William has also received much praise for his work on mental health, homelessness and the environment.

(Lady Gaga) "Hello Prince William"

(Prince William) "Hello Lady Gaga"

(Lady Gaga) "I am a very big fan of what you have done with Heads Together and hashtag okay to say"

The couple’s recent tour of the Caribbean was widely regarded as a bit of a slip up.

They faced protests over Britain's imperial past and criticism that some of the tour had echoes of a colonial throwback.

‘’I think if there was a scandal around William, you know it would not, it would not go down well you know, with the country or the monarchy. I mean, he is, he's the last of the Mohicans, basically, to be perfectly honest, you know, we just wouldn't want to have any bit of scandal, you know, surrounding him. And yes, I think an awful lot rests on William's shoulders for the future of the monarchy."

According to the Sunday Mirror newspaper the visit prompted William and Kate to rethink how the monarchy should look,

with the couple saying they wanted to be known by their names and not their titles.

Some have recently suggested the monarchy should have skipped a generation - and William not Charles should now be king.

"If you want my honest opinion, I'd rather have seen William be there and not him be on there…”

"You know he's quite old himself so it's just William should have got it, in my opinion, economy wise, later on, in the long run, not having to change things back again."

William has expressed a desire to ensure the monarchy moves with the times to stay relevant….

And in 2016 he praised his ‘Grannie’ for being the ‘best role model for the job.’