Queen Elizabeth II’s Children

It seems as though every newsfeed still is running some item about the British royal household. Heirs and spares and divorces and children, wow! If you lost track, here are the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II:

• Charles – Now King Charles III. He was born on November 14, 1948. He married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 2981. They had two children, William, now Prince of Wales, and Harry, now Duke of Sussex.

The Princess of Wales was known for her world travels and great interest in humanitarian efforts. Charles and Diana divorced August 28, 1996. She did not remarry. Diana died in a tragic automobile accident in Paris on August 31, 1997.

On April 9, 2005, Charles married the former Camilla Parker Bowles, now Queen Camilla. They have no children together. Camilla Rosemary Shand was born July 17, 1947, and married Andrew Parker Bowles on July 4, 1973. Their divorce decree was entered March 3, 1995. Camilla and Andrew had two children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.

• William is married to Catherine (Kate) Middleton and they have three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, each is either prince or princess of Wales. William, the Prince of Wales, is next in line for succession and heir apparent to the British throne. At their marriage, William was named Duke of Cambridge and Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge. She is now Princess of Wales.

• Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, married American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. Technically Meghan is a princess by marriage. Although Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal duties, the Dukedom (or Duchy) was a gift from Queen Elizabeth at their marriage and they are entitled to use that form of address. The Duke and Duchess have two children, Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet (Queen Elizabeth’s childhood nickname) of Sussex.

• Anne – The Princess Royal was born August 15, 1950. She married Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973, and they subsequently divorced April 23, 1992. They had two children, Peter and Zara. Anne married Timothy Laurence on December 12, 1992. They remain married to this date and they have no children together.

Peter has two children, Savannah and Isla. Zara has three children, Mia, Lena, and Lucas.

• Andrew – The Duke of York has been in the news quite recently, and not necessarily in a good way. He was born February 19, 1960, and married Sarah Ferguson (“Fergie,” but not the one from Black Eye Peas) on July 23, 1986, and then divorced on May 30, 1996.

They have two daughters, Beatrice (Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi), who has a daughter, Sienna; and Eugenie (Jack Brooksbank) with two children August and Ernest. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are frequently seen at weddings wearing distinctive hats or fascinators.

Duchess of York Sarah is now a published author and has not remarried.

• Edward – The Duke of Edinburg was born March 10, 1964, and married Sophie Rhys-Jones on June 19, 1999. They have two children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, the Earl of Wessex. They have no grandchildren at this point.

While many familes are complex and feature a significant amount of drama, the Royals are right there among the rest of us. However, their escapades, liaisons, and other actions become fodder for the tabloids and news bites. Suppose we should be grateful for small favors.