The Royal Family has wished the Prince of Wales a happy birthday with a sweet throwback snap on social media.

A young William is pictured in an adorable black and white shot with his father, King Charles III, to celebrate his eldest son turning 42.

The caption reads: ‘Wishing the Prince of Wales a very happy birthday!’

However, the festivities come the day after watching England’s disappointing Euro 2024 draw against Denmark.

William, president of the FA, was pictured alongside Denmark’s King Frederick as the two teams went head to head in Frankfurt, Germany, with the Three Lions drawing 1-1 in their second match of the tournament.

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A young William is pictured in an adorable black and white shot with his father, King Charles III, to celebrate his eldest son turning 42

The National Museum of the Royal Navy also followed with a heartfelt post, praising his ‘significant stint with the Royal Navy as part of his military training completing a two-month attachment in 2008’.

‘His diverse training has been a testament to his commitment to serving his country,’ it added.

The heir to the throne has faced a challenging 12 months with both his wife the Princess of Wales and father the King diagnosed with cancer.

His birthday came amid speculation the future king supports his father’s slimmed-down approach to the monarchy and that William may not want his younger children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to be working royals.

The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden wrote that a friend of the prince told him: ‘When the older members of the family retire, His Royal Highness won’t be inviting anyone else to become working royals.

‘It remains to be seen if he will even want his two younger children to be working royals.’

Ten-year-old Prince George is a future king, but third in line Charlotte, aged nine, and fourth in line Louis, six, are spares to the heir and, therefore, not expected to ever reign as monarch.

Kate returned briefly to the public limelight at Trooping the Colour last weekend with William and their three children.

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The Royal Family has wished the Prince of Wales a happy birthday with a sweet throwback snap on social media

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The National Museum of the Royal Navy also shared a snap of the Prince, with a birthday greeting

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William was seen with his mother-in-law Carole Middleton (pictured) this week on a day out at Royal Ascot, where he took to a carriage with Queen Camilla for the traditional procession along the course

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Pictured: William presents winning trainer Aidan O’Brien with an award after The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot 2024

But in a personal message to the nation, the princess revealed although she is making good progress, she is ‘not out of the woods yet’.

Kate told how she has good days and bad days and is facing a few more months of chemotherapy treatment.

William was seen with his mother-in-law Carole Middleton this week on a day out at Royal Ascot, where he took to a carriage with Queen Camilla for the traditional procession along the course.

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales was born second in line to the throne at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, at 9.03pm on June 21 1982.

He weighed 7lb 1 1/2oz and was the first-born son of the then-Prince and the Princess of Wales.

At just nine months old, he accompanied his parents on a six-week official visit to Australia and New Zealand, which was a break from tradition with royal babies usually left at home in the care of nannies.

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Kate returned briefly to the public limelight at Trooping the Colour last weekend with William and their three children

His mother Diana, who separated from the then-Prince of Wales in 1992, died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

William was just 15 and his brother Prince Harry 12, and the boys walked behind the princess’s coffin during a funeral procession through London.

The prince met Kate Middleton at St Andrews University in Fife, and the pair married at Westminster Abbey in 2011 after dating for more than eight years.

They welcomed their first child George in 2013, followed by Charlotte in 2015, and then Louis in 2018.

After the death of the late Queen in 2022, the King announced in his first historic address that he had made William and Kate the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

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Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales was born second in line to the throne at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, at 9.03pm on June 21 1982. Pictured with his mother and brother Harry in 1989

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His mother Diana, who separated from the then-Prince of Wales in 1992, died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Diana, Charles and William pictured in 1982

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Since his last birthday, William has launched Homewards, his five-year drive to eradicate homelessness in six locations around the UK. Pictured as a baby, with his mother

William has a long-running rift with his brother the Duke of Sussex, with no sign yet of a reconciliation.

The fallout originated ahead of Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, and worsened after the accusations Harry publicly levelled at his brother in his double tell-alls: his Netflix documentary and his memoir Spare.

When their joint friend the Duke of Westminster married in Chester Cathedral earlier this month, William acted as an usher, but Harry mutually agreed with the groom that he would not attend.

Since his last birthday, William has launched Homewards, his five-year drive to eradicate homelessness in six locations around the UK.

His other key focuses include raising mental health awareness, and the Earthshot Prize, his £50 million environmental competition to find solutions to help the planet.