There's no denying that the institution of the British monarchy is steeped in tradition. But King Charles's blended branch of "the firm," as it the royal family is sometimes called, is decidedly modern. When the then Prince of Wales married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005, he became the stepfather to two children from her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, and she became stepmother to Princes Harry and William.
Here's everything you need to know about their step-siblings, Laura Lopes and Tom Parker Bowles. (For more on Queen Camilla's family tree, click here.)
Tom Parker Bowles
Camilla's oldest child, Tom Parker Bowles, has the curious honor of having Prince Charles as both a stepfather and a godfather. Born on December 18, 1974, he is primarily known as a successful food writer.
"I was naughty, partied a bit hard. When I was younger I got sacked all the time," Parker Bowles said recently in an interview about his career, perhaps alluding to his reported drug use in the late '90s. "But I loved eating and could just about string a sentence together, so I thought I could write about food."
Tom, now 48, has authored several cookbooks, served as The Mail on Sunday's restaurant critic, has been a contributor to Esquire UK, and often appears as a judge on culinary reality shows and in competitions.
In September of 2005, he married fashion editor Sara Buys. The couple have two children: a daughter Lola, born in October 2007 and son Freddy, born in February 2010, but have since split. Freddy served as a page of honor at the coronation of his grandmother, Queen Camilla.
Tom previously opened up to Town & Country about what Christmas is like in his family these days, casually referring to the Prince of Wales as his stepfather: "Even now, we all drive down to be together. My mother's up with my stepfather, and she comes down on Christmas Day straight after the Queen's speech. So it's very much a family thing."
Laura Lopes
Born on New Year's Day in 1978, Lopes is Camilla's youngest child and only daughter. Growing up, she attended Catholic boarding school and later Oxford Brookes University before launching into a career in the arts.
After managing the Space Gallery in London, she co-founded Eleven, a fine art gallery in Belgravia, in 2005. Just one year later in 2006, she married Harry Lopes, a former Calvin Klein model-turned-chartered accountant (roughly the equivalent of a certified public accountant in the States); he's now the CEO of Eden Renewables. Princes William and Harry were both in attendance at the wedding.
Laura and her husband now have three children: Eliza, who was born in January 2008, and twin boys, Gus and Louis, who were born in December of 2009. Gus and Louis, like their cousin Freddy, were their grandmother's pages of honor at the coronation.
While Laura, 45, keeps a relatively low-profile, she reportedly gets along very well with her step brothers.
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
