Prince William is set to receive quite the esteemed honour after plans for his very first solo commemorative coin were released by The Royal Mint on Monday, May 23, in a special tribute to the Prince for his upcoming milestone 40th birthday this year.
The prestigious £5 will feature a very regal looking Prince William centered in the middle of the coin as he stares off into the distance, or as People describe it, “a three-quarter profile gaze”. The Prince appears to wear a polished collared suit and tie, with his hair brushed back in handsome, professional style.
The design is accompanied by the number 40 placed to the left of Prince William and his royal cipher, ‘W’ positioned to the right.
The special coin will mark William’s first ever solo appearance on a UK coin, having previously appeared beside wife, Kate Middleton, in commemoration of their 2011 royal wedding.
The engraver of the soon-to-be-released iconic coin, Thomas T. Doherty, described the design as representing a nice “balance” between William’s life as a father and his royal title and responsibility.
The coin “strikes a balance between the fresh energy of His Royal Highness and being a young dad with the ceremonial nature of his Royal position.”
Doherty went on to compare his own life to that of William’s, honing in on his own experience as a father and reaching the 40 year milestone.
“Even though our lives are a million miles apart, I understand how it feels to have just turned 40 and to have a young family of my own, so I wanted to ensure I captured His Royal Highness accurately at this stage in his life,” he told People.
Prince William’s official birthday is on June 21. His wife, The Duchess of Cambridge, recently turned 40 years of age on January 9 and she celebrated the special milestone with touching tributes to both The Queen and her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, in a series of stunning birthday portraits.
The three special portraits saw Kate dressed in some subtle wardrobe choices as she donned a pair of diamond earrings that belonged to the Queen in one photo and Princess Diana’s diamond and pearl drop earrings in another portrait.