On June 21, William of England will be 40 years old.
That shy blond boy who hid behind the skirts of his mother, Diana of Wales, has today become the heir to the heir – his father, Charles of England – and the strongest value within a somewhat unstable British crown.
Hence, his arrival at 40 in a month deserves a popular commemoration.
And nothing more popular than a coin.
The effigy of Elizabeth II's grandson, second in line to the British throne, will appear on a series of new five-pound coins (5.85 euros), as announced by the Royal Mint, the equivalent of the UK currency.
In it you can see a profile of Prince William, with a jacket and tie.
On one side of it there is a number 40 and on the other a W with a crown.
More information
William of England and Kate Middleton, a decade summarized in ten historical photos and a new one
Although the nominal value of the coin is five pounds, its cost will be 13 (15.32 euros) in its normal version.
The silver one, with only 3,500 units, will cost 92.50 pounds, 109.02 euros, according to the Royal Mint website.
There will be an even more special edition, with only 1,500 units, which will cost 172.50 pounds, 203.31 euros.
There are also three designs in gold, all limited, which cost between 670 and 4,775 pounds (between 790 and 5,630 euros).
And a commemorative pack
of seven coins from 1982, the year in which Guillermo was born
, will go on sale .
Engraver Thomas T. Docherty during his work creating the William of England 40th birthday five pound coin, at his workshop in Llantrisant, Wales, in April 2022. THE ROYAL MINT (via REUTERS)
As explained by the engraver in charge of creating the image of the coin, Thomas T. Docherty, it tries to "balance the fresh energy of His Royal Highness and the fact that he is a young father with the ceremonial nature of the royal position he occupies" .
This piece tries to be "a milestone" in the prince's career.
“Even though our lives are a million miles apart, I understand what it takes to turn 40 and have a family of your own, so I wanted to make sure I accurately captured this stage of his life.”
This is not the first coin Guillermo appears on.
When he got engaged to Kate Middleton, in 2010, one of her was already created to commemorate her, which was very controversial due to the scant resemblance between the real Middleton and the one portrayed.
Months later, on the occasion of his wedding, another one worth 9.99 pounds, about 11.50 euros, was made.
The engraver Thomas T. Docherty shows the gold coin in commemoration of the 40 years of Prince William of England. THE ROYAL MINT (via REUTERS)
Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which will take place at the beginning of June, have not yet left room to find out more details of how William's birthday will be commemorated, not even if there will be some kind of public act, something that seems little likely.
His wife, Kate Middleton, turned 40 last January, and there was no big celebration either.
A series of portraits by Paolo Roversi were published, immortalizing the Duchess in a glamorous yet classic way, with Elizabethan and Victorian references.
We will have to wait until next June to find out what will happen for the 40 of the heir.
