Prince William at 40: how Duke of Cambridge marked birthday - and photos of other Royals at same age

Today (21 June) marks Prince William’s 40th birthday.

Yesterday The Duke of Cambridge was on the cover of The Big Issue to mark his milestone birthday. He had written exclusively for the street paper, hoping to shine a spotlight on homelessness.

The magazine also includes an interview between Prince William and Dave Martin, the Big Issue vendor he joined to sell the magazine.

This makes The Duke of Cambridge the first member of the Royal Family to announce his birthday with a charity photo.

Prince William wrote in the paper: “I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem. In the 30-odd years since, I’ve seen countless projects in this space grow from strength to strength, including charities of which I have had the honour of being Patron.

“New initiatives have been launched up and down the country – some have worked, some have not. But The Big Issue, perhaps now the most immediately recognisable of these organisations, has undeniably had an impact.

He continued: “I wanted to experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor. My time was truly eye opening. I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling.

“I plan to do that now I’m turning 40, even more than I have in the past. So, for my part, I commit to continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come.”

Earlier this year, The Duchess of Cambridge and William’s wife, Kate Middleton, also turned 40 - and she celebrated with some new portraits.

Here we compare the photo of Prince William released for his 40th birthday, with pictures of other Royals when they hit the same age.