The lives of princes

Follow Princes William and Harry from cradle to adulthood, as they grew up in the spotlight of modern-day royalty.

Prince William looks on as his brother Prince Harry receives a sandbag from a soldier as they build a flood defence wall at Eton End School on Feb. 14, 2014 in Datchet, England.

Suit up!

Prince Charles arrives with his sons Princes Harry and William to Lancaster House in London to attend the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference on Feb. 13, 2014.

Sporty brothers

Left: Britain’s Prince Harry coached students from across England in rugby on Oct. 17, 2013 at Twickenham Stadium in London, where he was joined by Rugby World Cup winner Jason Robinson. Harry is the patron of the Rugby Football Union’s All Schools program.

Right: Prince William trains with players in the grounds of Buckingham Palace in London to mark the Football Association's 150th anniversary on Oct. 7, 2013.

Granting knighthood

Prince William granted knighthood for the first time on Oct. 17, 2013 when he stepped in for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, to help carry out the investiture of 88 recipients of various honors. Headteacher Sir Kenneth Gibson, pictured here, was honored for his work in education.

A hearty salute

Prince Harry salutes members of the Royal Australian Navy on Oct. 5, 2013. More than 50 ships participated in the International Fleet Review in Sydney Harbour to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet arriving in Sydney, Australia.

Brrrrrrrr

Prince Harry, pictured second from right, helps take down a tent during a cold-chamber training exercise with the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge 2013 British team at Nuneaton in central England on Sept. 17, 2013. Three teams of wounded service members from Britain, the United States and the Commonwealth are training to race more than 200 miles to the South Pole in November 2013.

Helping 9/11 victims

Prince William, right, and Prince Harry trade stocks on the BGC Partners trading floor in London on Sept. 11, 2013 as part of a charity event in memory of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The brothers found time to joke around at the event, with Harry accusing his older brother of indulging in "baby chat" over the phone with his infant son, Prince George.

Call of the wild

Prince William handles a Harris Hawk, during a falconry display on Aug. 14, 2013 at the Anglesey Show, a large agricultural event in North Wales.

Harry and Cressida

Prince Harry and his girlfriend Cressida Bonas leave the Prince of Wales Theatre in London after attending a performance of “The Book of Mormon” in October. Whether Britain’s “partying Prince” Harry plans to marry his steady squeeze remains to be seen, but the rumors swirling around the couple have led one question to rise above the others: Who is Cressida Bonas, and has the most eligible royal met his match in her?

Polo match for charity

Prince Harry, right, speaks to Prince William during a charity polo match at Coworth Park in southern England on Aug. 3, 2013. It was Prince William’s first public appearance since leaving the hospital with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and their newborn son, Prince George.

Family portrait

Duchess Kate’s father, Michael Middleton, captured this portrait of Prince William, Duchess Kate, their son Prince George, their cocker spaniel Lupo and the Middletons’ retriever Tilly in the garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, Britain in August 2013.

Grooving

Right: Prince William dances with Vanessa Boateng at Centrepoint, a charity that provides housing and support to improve the lives of homeless young people aged 16 to 25.

Left: Prince Harry poses with Usain Bolt at the Usain Bolt Track at the University of the West Indies on March 6, 2012 in Kingston, Jamaica. Harry was in Jamaica representing Queen Elizabeth II on the Diamond Jubilee Tour.

Honoring the queen

Prince Harry, Duchess Kate and Prince William stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London during the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony on June 15, 2013 to mark Queen Elizabeth’s birthday.

A magical time

Prince Harry, Duchess Kate and Prince William raise their wands on the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the “Harry Potter” films during the inauguration of Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in London on April 26, 2013.

Wedding day

Britain's Prince William, center left, and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, center right, pose for a photograph with, clockwise from bottom right, Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Eliza Lopes, Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor, Tom Pettifer and William Lowther-Pinkerton in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace following their wedding at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011.

Snuggling up

Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton pose in one of two official engagement portraits, taken by photographer Mario Testino in the Cornwall Room at St James's Palace in London on November 25, 2010. The couple were married on April 29, 2011 in a ceremony watched by more than 2 billion people around the world.

Two women, one ring

A combo shows a picture (R) of Prince Charles and his then fiancee, Lady Diana Spencer, on the day their engagement was announced in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, in London. Prince William used the engagement ring of his late mother when he proposed to Kate Middleton on a safari in Kenya, in October 2010.

Paying respects to a brother in arms

Prince Harry plants a cross for Lance Corporal of Horse Jonathan Woodgate during the opening of the Royal British Legion Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance, in the grounds of Lydiard Park, Swindon on Nov. 9, 2010. The Prince planted a cross dedicated to his friend Woodgate, who was in the Household Cavalry Regiment with Prince Harry, and was killed on foot patrol in Afghanistan earlier in the year.

Horning in

Prince Harry struggles with his klaxon horn while attending the opening of the Royal British Legion Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance to commemorate soldiers fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan in Lydiard Park on Nov. 9, 2010, in Wootton Bassett, England.

Wedding guests

Kate Middleton and Prince William attend Harry Meade & Rosie Bradford's wedding at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul on Oct. 23, 2010 and set tongues wagging that their own engagement was imminent. On Nov. 16, 2010, the royal family announced that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged.

Royal salutes

Prince William, left, and Prince Charles salute Royal Air Force airmen on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, 2010.

Controversial drama

Australian-British actor Sebastien Reid, center, played the title role in "The Taking of Prince Harry," a "dramatized documentary" about the fictional capture of the Prince Harry while on military duty in Afghanistan. The TV-movie generated controversy when it was shown in Britain in October 2010.

Heir in the air

Britain's Prince William is seen sitting at the controls of his Sea King helicopter on Sept. 3, 2010. The following month, he completed his first mission as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter copilot, plucking a stricken worker from an oil rig.

Pups for a cause

Prince Harry holds Veyron, an 8-week-old puppy, during a visit to the charity Canine Partners Training Centre, in Midhurst in southern England on July 13, 2010. The charity specializes in assistance dogs, and the prince is particularly interested in helping wounded armed forces veterans.

Lending a hand

Prince Harry and Prince William put gloves on a young boy during a visit to a child education center on June 16, 2010 in Semonkong, Lesotho. The two princes are on a joint trip to Africa where they'll be going to Botswana, Lesotho and finally South Africa. During that time they will visit a number of projects supported by their charities and the England vs. Algeria World Cup match in Cape Town.

Help for Haiti

Prince Harry wears a T-shirt bearing the slogan "Haiti We Care" as he dances with a local singer at a fund-raising concert on Jan.31, 2010, in Bridgetown, Barbados.

For the children

Prince Harry attends a Garden Party for Barbados' orphaned and vulnerable children at the Garrison Museum on Jan. 30, 2010 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Prince Harry visited the island with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho for the Sentebale Polo Cup to help raise funds to support Lesotho's vulnerable children.

Fans Down Under

Britain's Prince William is greeted by members of the public as he arrives at Government House in Melbourne on Jan. 21, 2010, the third and final day of his unofficial visit to Australia.

After the blaze

Britain's Prince Williams speaks with bushfire victim Richard Fox (left) on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 21, 2010. The prince was on the last day of a three-day trip to Australia.

Winning his wings

Britain's Prince Charles, left, presents his son, Prince William, with his wings during a ceremony at RAF Shawbury in England on Jan. 15, 2010.

A princely portrait

Artist Nicky Philipps stands with her portrait of Prince William and Prince Harry at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Jan. 6, 2010. The painting is the first double portrait of the royal brothers.

Solemn occasion

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, center, and her grandsons Prince William, left, and Prince Harry, right, attend the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony at in London on Nov. 8, 2009 as the military reported the 200th British soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan.

Saving the earth

Prince William, left, and Prince Harry appear in a May 2009 video as part of a campaign to protect the world's rainforests launched by Britain's Prince Charles. The video is aimed at raising awareness of deforestation and climate change.

Prince of the city

From top left, Prince Harry plays polo on Governors Island on May 30, 2009, in New York City, and pays respects to the victims of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks on the same day. At bottom, Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso speak to students during a tour of the Harlem Children's Zone school, also on May 30, 2009.

Happily ever after

Prince William and Kate Middleton started dating in 2002 and were married on April 29, 2011.

Relationship rollercoaster

Prince Harry dated Chelsy Davy on and off for five years, but the two split up for good in January 2009.

Flying high

Prince William, right, receives his flying wings from his father, Prince Charles, after graduating as a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot.

Military men

Left: Prince William is an officer in the army but is also training with other parts of the British military, of which he will be commander-in-chief when he becomes king. As a junior officer in the Royal Navy, he took part in a $80 million drug bust in the North Atlantic. Right: Prince Harry, right, served for 77 days in the war in Afghanistan, but was sent back home after the global media revealed that he had been secretly fighting on the front line.

Remembering Diana

Prince Harry and Prince William hosted and helped organize the Concert For Diana on July 1, 2007 in London, England. The concert marked the 10th anniversary of their mother's death with an event to celebrate her life.

Must love sports

Left: Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton at a rugby match at Twickenham stadium in London, February 2007. Right: Prince Harry with Chelsy Davy, watching the Champions League match at Stamford Bridge in London, April 2007.

Second Lieutenants

Prince Harry (photo on the right, second from right) grins as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II inspects the Sovereign's Parade. Prince Harry went to Sandhurst Military Academy after graduating from Eton College. After attending St. Andrews University, Prince William attended military school as well. He graduated on Dec. 15, 2006 (left), after his younger brother. Both now serve in the military.

Media glare

A man reads the "The Sun" in London, January 2005. The headline is critical of Prince Harry for wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party. He quickly issued a formal apology "Harry's had sort of his fair share of hard time given by the media," remarks his brother, Prince William. Prince Harry also faced criticism after British tabloid News of the World revealed a video of Harry calling a soldier wearing a turban a "raghead."

In their mother's footsteps

After graduating from Eton College, both princes spent a year traveling around the world doing humanitarian work. At left: Prince William carries a log used to construct walkways during an expedition in the village of Tortel in southern Chile. At right: Prince Harry and a young orphan boy plant a peach tree at a children's home in Lesotho. Both Prince Harry and Prince William say they learned values and humanitarian work by their mother's example. "It's the way she was the whole time," says Harry.

Sports-minded

Left: Prince William, like his father and brother, enjoys playing polo. Here he is photographed during a match at Cirencester Polo Club, June 10, 2007. Right: Prince Harry talks to fellow supporters prior to a Rugby Union International match in 2003.

On the field

Left: An 18-year-old Prince William plays soccer at Eton College. In 2006, William is appointed President of the English Football Association. Right: Prince Harry, 20 years old, coaches rugby at Greenfield Primary School, in Walsall, England.

Royal fans

Left: A 14-year-old Prince Harry walks past cheering teenage girls during a visit to a high school in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. Prince William, 9 years old, shakes hands in an enthusiastic crowd of Canadian women.

An outpouring of grief

Earl Spencer, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles at Princess Diana's funeral, September 6, 1997. The memorial services were watched by millions around the world. "After it happened, we were always thinking about it," says Prince William of their mother's death. "There's not a day that goes by... that I don't think about it once in the day." Prince Harry tells TODAY that for the brothers, time has gone by "really really slowly."

First day at Eton College

Left: Prince William on his first day at Eton College, England's premier school. Photo is dated September 7, 1995. Right: Three years later, Prince Harry follows in his brother's footsteps and also goes to Eton. Both are wearing the traditional Eton tail coat.

Privilege and tradition

A 7-year-old Prince William and a 4-year-old Prince Harry watch the Beating Retreat Parade at The Orangery, Kensington Palace.

A life in the public eye

Prince William poses with members of the press at Kensington Palace for his 2nd birthday. Of press coverage of his life and relationships, Prince William recently told TODAY's Matt Lauer, "[I] occasionally see a bit of it here and there, but you just let it wash over you."

Sons of Charles and Diana

Left: Princess Diana helps a 10-month-old Prince William stand up during a photo shoot. Right: Prince Harry, aged 1, at home in the playroom at Kensington Palace.