Hello, fellow royal fans, are you aware that Prince Harry and Prince William have a rarely mentioned and almost entirely under-the-radar sister named Laura Lopes? Kay, fine, she’s technically their stepsister, but still, I am in a state of absolute shock that’s best illustrated as multiple exclamation marks (!!!!!!) over this information. Truly, just when you think you know alarming amounts of unnecessary info about the royals, their collection of corgis, and all their cross-continental drama, a random sibling pops up and needs a deep dive. No wonder The Crown keeps coming out with new seasons—there’s simply endless amounts to unpack with this family, their heirs, their spares, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and now their stepchildren. Which brings us back to Laura. WHOMST is she?
She’s the Daughter of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, That’s Whomst
Before she got together with Prince Charles, Camilla was married to Andrew Parker Bowles, aka this trotting thirst trap (sorry, quarantine did really weird things to my personal taste and I haven't been the same since lol):
Camilla and Andrew had two kids, Tom Parker Bowles and art curator Laura Lopes. Here’s a pic of the whole happy super-tense family at Charles and Camilla’s wedding:
She Used to Get Into “Terrible Fights” With William
According to royal reporter Katie Nicholl’s 2010 book Harry and William, William and Laura did NOT get along back in the day:
“William and Laura used to have terrible fights over who was to blame for their broken homes. William would blame Camilla for all the hurt she had caused his mother, which would send Laura into a rage. Laura was not having any of it. She would take a hard line and fire back at William, ‘Your father has ruined my life.’”
Um. Moving on!
She Married a Casual Astor
Laura married *checks notes* former Calvin Klein model Harry Lopes back in 2006, and while his technical job title is now “accountant,” he’s best described as a Very Fancy Person. Not only is Harry Lopes the grandson of a baron, but he’s also related to the famously wealthy Astor family.
Laura’s Daughter Was in William and Kate’s Wedding
Laura actually has three kids (a girl and twin boys), but her daughter, Eliza, got to be a bridesmaid at William and Kate’s royal wedding. Here she is holding hands with Pippa Middleton:
And here she is dangling from Prince Charles’s arms atop a balcony:
She Might Get a Title Now That Charles Is King
According to The Express back in 2019, Charles “may bestow royal titles upon his stepchildren” when he “ascends to the throne.” In other words, Laura could potnentially have the chance to become a duchess or a countess or a [insert fancy name here] now that Charles is king. How-ev-er!! Now, as far as we know, that hasn't happened thus far, but ya never know! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Camilla Subtly Gives Laura Shout-Outs
Queen Consort Camilla has made it clear that she’s a big part of her life by specifically including photos of Laura behind her during Zoom interviews. See that pic on the right? That would be a never-before-seen portrait from Laura’s wedding.
She Pops Up on the Occasional Carpet
Due to being prominent in London’s ~art gallery scene~, Laura shows up at the occasional fancy event. Here she is at the premiere of Skyfall in 2012!
She and Tom Seem *Kinda* Salty
At least, based on a 2019 interview Tom gave with Good Morning Britain, in which he said they’re “not quite part of the royal family, to be honest” and added, “My mother married into it. She’s part of it. We’re the common children. We’re just on the side.” I mean...that's technically not the case anymore since Charles is now king, but still. Def makes ya wonder what the whole fam dynamic is like. 👀
You love all the juicy deets on the royals and their drama. So do we! Let’s overanalyze them together.
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
