Who’s who in the British royal family

The British royal family is not just a group of celebrities in beautiful clothes. Behind every title and newspaper photo are real people with their own roles, responsibilities, and family histories. They are part of a centuries-old tradition that continues to change and adapt to the modern world.

Let's figure out who's who in this big family. We'll look not only at its most famous members, but also at those who play an important role in supporting the monarchy behind the scenes. You'll learn what members of the royal family do besides ceremonies and how their statuses change over time.

This article will help you easily navigate the Windsor family tree. We will talk in simple terms about kings, princes, dukes, and their duties so that the next time you read the news, you will understand exactly who we are talking about.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth was not supposed to become queen: her father Albert, the future George VI, was only the “spare prince,” and the heir was his older brother, Prince Edward. Edward did become king, but only for 10 months: he was then forced to abdicate because Parliament forbade him to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. As a result, Elizabeth's father ascended the throne. His reign was not very long: 16 years later, George VI died of lung cancer, and it was time for his 25-year-old daughter to take on the burden of power. Elizabeth II is now the longest-reigning monarch in the world.

Prince Philip

Prince Philip

Despite his titles of Prince of Greece and Denmark, the young Philip was no match for Crown Princess Elizabeth: apart from his rich pedigree and aristocratic appearance, he had nothing to offer. He met the young Lilibet in 1939 at Dartmouth Naval College, where Philip was studying and Elizabeth was accompanying the king on an official visit. They corresponded throughout the war and announced their engagement a year after it ended. For Elizabeth's sake, Philip had to renounce his titles, convert to Anglicanism, obtain British citizenship, and change his surname to Mountbatten. The couple's wedding took place on November 20, 1947. After the wedding

prince Philip

received the title of Duke of Edinburgh. To the great sorrow of the royal family, Philip

passed away on April 9 this year

.

What it means to “age beautifully”: learning from Hollywood actresses Read

Prince Charles

Prince Charles

The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip was born on November 14, 1948. On July 1, 1969, a formal investiture ceremony was held at Carnarvon Castle in Wales, after which Charles became known as the Prince of Wales. Now Elizabeth II's first son is first in line to the throne.

Princess Diana

Princess Diana

Prince Philip insisted on Diana Spencer as Prince Charles's wife. Before the wedding, Charles and Diana had only met a few times. In February 1981, they announced their engagement, and in the summer, the wedding of the century took place at St. Paul's Cathedral. Diana Spencer became Princess Diana of Wales and the third woman in the kingdom. The British adored the princess, and the press dubbed her “the queen of hearts.” The fairy tale ended in December 1995, when Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had advised Diana and Charles to divorce. A little over six months later, the divorce was finalized. In June 1997, Lady Diana died in a car accident in Paris.

Duchess Camilla

Duchess Camilla

Prince Charles met Camilla Shand before he met Diana. They had a whirlwind romance, but the Queen was categorically opposed to her son marrying Camilla. Realizing that a wedding with the prince would never happen, Camilla agreed to marry Andrew Parker Bowles, with whom she later had two children, a son Tom and a daughter Laura. But Camilla and Charles' feelings for each other proved to be strong: ten years later, they got back together, and after Charles' divorce from Diana, they never separated again. In 2005, the Queen finally gave her permission for them to marry. Out of respect for the late Diana, Camilla refused the title of Princess of Wales, so the Queen granted her son's second wife the title of Duchess of Cornwall.

Royal cuisine: recipes for the Windsors' favorite dishes Read

Prince William

Prince William

Prince Charles had two sons with Princess Diana. The eldest, Prince William, is now second in line to the throne. William's official title is Duke of Cambridge.

Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton

With Prince William

Kate Middleton

met while studying at the University of St. Andrews. At first, their relationship was purely platonic, but in their sophomore year, they began a romantic relationship. Catherine waited eight years for a marriage proposal, which is why the media called her “Waity Katie” for a long time. This marriage was a misalliance, as the Middleton family came from the middle class. However, Catherine was able to win the hearts of both the Queen and the people of the United Kingdom. On April 29, 2011, Kate Middleton married Prince William and received the title of Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince Harry

Prince Harry

The second son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was christened Henry, but he is better known to the public as Prince Harry. For a long time, he had a reputation as a real bon vivant and was a star of the tabloid press, but in recent years he has changed his lifestyle, deciding to follow in his mother's footsteps and engage in charity work. After

wedding to Meghan Markle

received the title of Duke of Sussex, in 2020 he and his wife left the family “nest” and relinquished their royal duties.

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry's romance with the star of the TV series Suits

Meghan Markle

caused even more controversy than Prince William's marriage to Kate Middleton. A divorced American of mixed race, and an actress to boot, Meghan was not considered the best match for the prince. However, the Queen still allowed Harry to marry her. In October 2017, Markle ended her acting career and moved from Toronto to London. In November, they announced their engagement, and on May 19, 2018, they were married at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. More than a year ago, the couple left the United Kingdom with their son Archie and moved to the United States, where their second child, daughter Lilibet, was born.

Princess Anne

Princess Anna

Anne is the second child and only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Her title is different from the others: she is not just a princess, but a royal princess.

Mark Phillips

Mark Phillips

Princess Anne was with Mark Phillips for about 20 years. Mark declined the title offered by Prince Philip. After the wedding, Phillips was appointed instructor at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, and then transferred to the Ministry of Defense. The couple divorced in 1992.

Peter and Otem Phillips

Autum and Peter Phillips

Princess Anne gave birth to her son Peter while married to Mark Phillips. Peter was Queen Elizabeth II's first grandchild. In 2003, he met his future wife Autum at the Montreal Grand Prix. Otem only learned that Phillips belonged to the Windsor dynasty a few months into their relationship, when she accidentally saw a film about Prince William on television.

Savannah and Isla Phillips

Savannah and Isla Phillips

Peter and Autumn Phillips are raising two daughters together. Their first daughter, Savannah, was born on December 29, 2010, and became Elizabeth II's first great-granddaughter. A year and a half later, on April 23, 2011, the couple's second daughter, Isla, was born.

Zara and Mike Tindall

Zara and Mike Tindall

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips' daughter Zara is married to Gloucester and England rugby player Mike Tindall. After the wedding, Zara changed her surname from Phillips to her husband's and is now known as Zara Tindall.

Mia Grace and Leana Elizabeth Tindall

Mia Grace Tindall

Zara, like her brother Peter, has two daughters. Mia Grace Tindall was born on January 17, 2014. On June 18, 2018, their second daughter, Leana Elizabeth Tindall, was born. The couple has not yet shown photos of their newborn baby.

Timothy Laurence

Timothy Laurence

Immediately after her divorce from Mark Phillips, Princess Anne married for the second time. Her chosen one was Timothy Laurence, a British Navy officer. Since 2004, Laurence has been an aide to Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew is the third child of Elizabeth and Philip. Since he is only seventh in line to the throne, the Queen granted her son the title of Duke of York.

Sarah Ferguson

Sarah Ferguson

Princess Diana introduced Prince Andrew to writer Sarah Ferguson. They were married in 1986, but divorced ten years later. Despite the divorce, Sarah retained the title of Duchess of York, but if she decides to remarry, she will lose it.

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. In the summer of 2016, she broke up with Dave Clark, with whom she had been in a relationship for over 10 years. Three years later, the princess announced her engagement to Italian aristocrat Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and in July 2020, the couple got married in a small ceremony attended only by their closest friends and family. On September 18, 2021, Beatrice and Edoardo had a daughter, whom they named Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie

Princess Beatrice's sister Eugenie is a year and a half younger than her. On October 12, 2018, Eugenie married Mahiki club manager Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel. On February 9, 2021, Eugenie gave birth to a son at Portland Hospital in London, whom they named August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.

Prince Edward

Prince Edward

The youngest of the Queen and her husband's four children, Prince Edward holds the title of Earl of Wessex, despite the fact that the children of the reigning monarch usually receive the title of Duke.

The British royal family is not just an ancient dynasty, but a living institution in which each member plays their own role. At the top is King Charles III, who succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to the throne. Next to him is his former wife Camilla, now the Queen Consort. Charles's eldest son, Prince William, is considered the heir apparent and future king, while his wife Kate and their three children — George, Charlotte, and Louis — have already become the faces of the new generation of the monarchy. At the same time, Prince Harry, Charles's younger son, has stepped back from his main royal duties, moving to the US with his wife Meghan and their children, which has caused much discussion. All this is not just a family tree, but a complex family drama under the public eye.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Sophie Rhys-Jones met Prince Edward while working at Ardent Productions, a television company owned by him. Their office romance blossomed into serious feelings: in 1999, Sophie married the prince and became Countess of Wessex.

The British royal family is a large and ramified family, where everyone has their own role and responsibilities. We got to know the key figures: from the monarch, who personifies the nation, to the family members who support his work and engage in charity.

It is important to remember that family composition and roles change over time. New generations are growing up, such as Prince William's children, who will eventually take on more public responsibilities. This is a living story that continues to be written.

We hope this brief overview has helped you understand a little better who's who at this unique institution. Behind the ceremonies and titles are real people with their own stories, contributing to the life of the country.