Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Paige Freshwater & Nia Dalton

King Charles's step-children - who are they and will they get royal titles

When King Charles acceded the throne, his wife Camilla became Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, under the late Queen Elizabeth II's wishes.

Camilla has been happily married to King Charles since 2005 - but has belonged to the same social circles as the royals since she was in her early 20s.

Royal guests including Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon even attended her first wedding with Andrew Parker Bowles, a then Guards officer, in the early 1970s.

Despite having an on-and-off relationship for years, the couple had two children together, Tom, born December 1974, and Laura, born January 1978.

King Charles and Camilla continue to laugh after a bubble bee took a liking to Prince Charles during their visit to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary on November 5, 2015 in Dunedin, New Zealand (Getty Images)

But now she has been made Queen Consort, many have been left questioning whether her children, Tom and Laura, will be given royal titles similar to those passed down to King Charles's sons, William, Princes of Wales and Prince Harry.

According to royal tradition, Camilla's children will not automatically be passed any royal titles as her own title depends on King Charles. Instead, the only way Tom and Laura could be bestowed titles is if they're nominated for them due to 'good works'.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, claims it is unlikely Camilla's children will have royal security moving forward as they do not have blue blood, having joined the royal family tree through marriage.

Camilla's son

Tom Parker Bowles with his mother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Laura (Getty Images)

Camilla's oldest child is Tom Parker Bowles, who was born in London in December 1974, making him 47-years-old.

Interestingly, one of his godfathers is Prince Charles - who later became his stepdad.

Tom is a well-known food writer and often appears on cookery shows. He has authored several books and published in magazines, including Conde Nast Traveller, GQ and Esquire.

In September 2005, months after his mother's wedding to Charles, Tom wed long-term girlfriend Sara Buys during a ceremony in Oxford.

The couple had two children, 14-year-old daughter Lola and 12-year-old son Frederick, but split in 2018.

Later, Tom found love with journalist Alice Procope, who was a mum-of-three. However, tragically last year, she died at the age of 42 after a battle with cancer.

Tom, who was with Ms Procope for almost two years, is said to have been left devastated by the death.

A friend of his told the Daily Mail at the time: "Tom had been blissfully happy with Alice and is devastated that life can be so cruel."

Camilla's daughter

Camilla, Laura and Tom, pictured at Cheltenham Festival, joined the royal family in the late 90s (Getty Images)

Camilla's lesser known child, Laura, was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 1978 and is currently 44-years-old.

She was educated at a Catholic girls boarding school in Dorset, and then studied History of Art and Marketing at Oxford Brookes University.

Before settling down, Laura worked as Tatler's motoring correspondent then moved into the art world.

She first managed The Space Gallery in London and co-founded London's Eleven Gallery in 2005, where she was also a director.

Laura married chartered accountant Harry Lopes in Wiltshire in 2006. He went to Eton College and spent some time underwear modelling for Calvin Klein.

On their wedding day, Laura wore an Anna Valentine dress – the same designer worn by her mother when she married Prince Charles in 2005.

Both William and Harry were guests at her wedding and she attended both of their nuptials.

In fact, her daughter Eliza was a bridesmaid for the Duchess of Cambridge at stepbrother William's wedding in 2011 when she was just four.

Laura and Harry are also parents to twins Gus and Louis, born in 2009.

Although Laura is not a royal, she could be in line to inherit two stately homes, as her husband Harry, the son of baron, is set to take over Gnaton Hall in Devon, as well as the Skelpick estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Camilla's grandchildren

King Charles has an adorable bond with Camilla's grandchildren (Clarence House)

Camilla has five grandchildren on her side of the family - Lola, 14, and Freddy Parker-Bowles, 12, Eliza Lopes, 13, and twins Gus and Louis, aged 12.

The Queen Consort recently revealed how she loves to spend her pastime with them - reading books before bedtime.

The 75-year-old says she likes to sit down with her grandchildren and read them the bestseller Gangster Granny, which charts the story of a granny who plots to steal the Queen's Crown Jewels from The Tower of London.

You can now buy Friday's historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.