Prince William's Milestone Birthday Has A Special Connection To Diana Spencer

Prince William is getting ready to celebrate a milestone birthday — he's turning 40 on June 21! In anticipation of the special day, the Royal Mint, which creates official coinage for the United Kingdom, released a £5 gold coin engraved with the future king of England's portrait, per Yahoo! Life. It is the first time William has ever been featured on an official coin alone. "[The coin] pays homage to the maturity and grace of the prince who has become a senior member of the royal family, a devoted husband and a loving father of three," explained Clare Maclennan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint.

And now that her Platinum Jubilee festivities have come to an end, Queen Elizabeth is also reportedly focused on celebrating her grandson's big day. "The queen has a big thing planned for William and he is going to throw something as well. There will be big parties again, if Covid allows anything like that to happen," royal expert Christopher Andersen revealed, per Mirror.

Of course, as he turns 40, William is also thinking about his mother, the late Princess Diana. With that in mind, he plans to do more than just party to commemorate this important day. In fact, he is using his birthday to place a spotlight on an important issue in the U.K. — and it's a cause that Diana introduced him to when he was a child.

Prince William recently made headlines when he took on a secret job ahead of his 40th birthday: selling copies of "The Big Issue" on the streets of London, per BBC. And in an essay written for the paper, the Duke of Cambridge explained the role that Princess Diana played in making him aware of an important cause. 

"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," he wrote, per Newsweek. "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."

William added that "in the years ahead, I hope to bring George, Charlotte and Louis to see the fantastic organizations doing inspiring work to support those most in need — just as my mother did for me. As she instinctively knew, and as I continue to try and highlight, the first step to fixing a problem is for everyone to see it for what it truly is."

According to the Express, William is already making plans to help the homeless via the Duchy of Cornwall estate, which he will inherit after his father, Prince Charles, becomes king. "The Duke is interested in finding ways to help alleviate the homelessness situation in any way he can," a royal source revealed.