Who Are Prince William's Friends? Get to Know His Most Loyal Pals
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Prince William's calendar may be booked with official engagements, Buckingham Palace balcony appearances, and school drop-offs, but somehow he also squeezes in time for his pals. Perhaps because Princess Diana insisted that William have a "normal" childhood, and he was afforded a relatively low-profile four years at St. Andrews University, the royal has been able to forge a handful of long-lasting, solid friendships — friends he's known since he was a boy, who let loose with him before his 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton, and some who have even become godparents to his children.
It's impressive that the second in line to the British throne has been able to maintain such a devoted group of buddies, who clearly must have proven their loyalty, discretion, and willingness to navigate royal protocol over the years, though obviously keeping close personal friends is important to William and Kate, who has her own top-secret squad. Ahead, get to know the guys in William's inner circle.
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William van Cutsem
William van Cutsem is one of William's best friends, and their families have had strong ties since his childhood. The Van Cutsems rented Anmer Hall (now Prince William and Kate's country home) when William and his siblings were young, making them neighbors to the royals. They were so close that William's brother, Edward, was a pageboy in Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding and is the godson of Prince Charles. In turn, William is one of Prince George's godparents.
It's even been reported that as Prince Charles and Diana's marriage was falling apart, both Prince William and Prince Harry spent much of their time in the care of the Van Cutsem family.
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James Meade
Prince William and James Meade became friends during their time at Eton and their wives have since also become close. Prince William was an usher at James's wedding to Laura Marsham in 2013 after James gave a speech at Kate and William's wedding in 2011. In 2015, James was chosen by William and Kate to be one of Princess Charlotte's godparents.
In January, James and Laura attended church services with the royal family in Sandringham, since they live nearby.
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Thomas van Straubenzee
Thomas van Straubenzee attended Ludgroe Prep School in Berkshire with Prince William and remains a member of his inner circle. He, along with James Meade, was an usher and gave a speech at William and Kate's 2011 wedding. He also helped celebrate before the big event as one of more than 20 guys who reportedly attended a secret "stag" party at a Norfolk estate owned by the Van Custems. William returned the favor by participating in Thomas's 2013 nuptials as an usher.
The fun continued with Thomas just last year, when he joined William and other pals on a ski trip to Switzerland that landed the prince in hot water after he was photographed dancing and drinking at a nightclub.
Despite his rowdy reputation, Thomas is one of Princess Charlotte's godparents.
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Tom Inskip
Another friend from Eton, Tom Inskip is best friends with Prince Harry but also close with William. He helped plan William's stag party with Guy Pelly and was among the select group of friends to attend the private wedding receptions of both princes.
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Hugh van Cutsem
Prince William and his family have a long history with the Van Custems, so it's no surprise that William van Cutsem's brother, Hugh, is also among the prince's best pals. You may remember Hugh's daughter Grace, who was a bridesmaid in Will and Kate's 2011 wedding and almost stole the show with her less than enthusiastic facial expressions.
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Peter Phillips
Technically Peter Phillips is family, as he's Prince William's first cousin, the son of Queen Elizabeth II's sister Princess Anne. But the pair have a special bond having grown up side by side in the spotlight. Now, they have even more in common as they're both raising young royal children. Remember Peter's daughter Savannah shushing Prince George on the balcony of Buckingham Palace?
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Guy Pelly
Nightclub owner Guy Pelly is part of William's inner circle and is unsurprisingly known for his wild ways. He was apparently the driving force behind the "embarrassing" Switzerland trip since he wanted one "last hurrah" before becoming a father. It certainly wasn't the first time he partied with William — Guy reportedly organized William's stag party.
Their friendship dates back to 2001, when they met while fox hunting in England, and they've been involved in each other's life milestones since. William flew to Memphis, TN, for Guy's wedding to Lizzy Wilson in 2014, and recently Guy was named one of Prince Louis's godparents.