Prince William & Harry's Forgotten Step-Sister Left Fans Speechless

Sep 23, 2022 by apost team

The public has witnessed almost every milestone in the lives of royal siblings Prince William and Prince Harry. Apart from being the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, they also endured being under constant public scrutiny following the death of their mom, the late Princess Diana. But when King Charles III remarried in 2005, Harry and William also welcomed step-siblings into their lives. 

Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, is one of the most controversial figures to join the British royal family. Before marrying King Charles III on April 9th, 2005, King Charles III and Camilla met in 1970 at a polo match. According to Britannica, many people in their friend group assumed that Charles would propose to Camilla. 

But in 1973, the then-25-year-old Camilla wed British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles. The couple had two children together but eventually divorced in 1995. 

Throughout the course of their first marriages, King Charles III and Camilla continued their romantic connection. According to NBCNews, in the 90s, the public blamed Camilla for the devastating end of Diana and King Charles III's marriage. 

The British tabloids often referred to Camilla as the "third person" in Diana and Charles' marriage. She was even regarded as one of if not the "most hated woman in Britain."

It took decades, but Camilla changed how the public viewed her by using her platform to delve into humanitarianism. 

According to Princesofwhales.gov, the Queen Consort is the patron or president of over 100 charities. Her charity work focuses on important themes such as "health, literacy, supporting those in need; the elderly, victims of rape and sexual abuse and domestic violence, empowering women; food; animals, dance and heritage, and the arts." 

According to Express, Camilla is ranked the 11th most famous royal family member. She was ranked only four places behind her husband, King Charles III.

Despite their marriage starting off in deep controversy, the couple has shown nothing but love for one another and their children. Although the Queen Consort won the heart of Britain, her children have shied away from the spotlight of the Royal family.

Camilla has two children, a son and daughter named Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes (born Laura Parker Bowles), with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles. Following her divorce from Andrew, Camilla wed Prince Charles and became the Duchess of Cornwall. 

At the time, Camilla took a different title than the proposed title of "Princess of Wales" because the beloved late Princess Diana was bestowed that title.

According to Express, royal biographer Penny Junor noted in her biography, "The Firm," written about Princes Phillips and the Royal Family, Camilla's biggest concern was her step-sons, William and Harry. 

"A not insignificant part of the reason why they had waited until 2005 to announce their engagement was a sensitivity towards the boys," Junor wrote.

"They didn't want to foist a stepmother on William and Harry before they had fully grown up."

The Queen Consort connected instantly with her new step-sons. Harry commented on his relationship with his stepmother in his book "Harry: The Biography of a Prince," written by Angela Levin," To be honest, she's always been very close to me and William. She's not a wicked stepmother. Look at the position she's coming into." He also added: "Don't feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her."

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Although her new step-sons welcomed Camilla with open arms, their relationship with their new step-siblings was the complete opposite. According to TheNews, royal author Katie Nicholl wrote about how King Charles III and Camilla's affair affected their children in her 2010 biography "Harry and William." 

"William and Laura used to have terrible fights over who was to blame for their broken homes," Nicholl wrote.

Despite the rocky start to their relationship, William and Harry have grown to love their step-siblings and vice versa. The siblings all attended each other's weddings, and in 2011 Laura's daughter Eliza was a bridesmaid in Prince Williams' and Kate Middleton's wedding.

Camilla's children have shied away from the public eye but have excelled in their respective fields. Her son, Tom Parker Bowles, is a famed British food critic, writer, and cookbook author. In 2005, a couple of months after his mother married King Charles III, Tom married his long-time girlfriend, Sara Buys. They have a daughter and son, Lola and Frederick.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain, Tom explained why he and his sister stayed out of the royal spotlight, stating he and his sister were "not quite part of the royal family, to be honest."

"My mother married into it. She's part of it," he further explained.

"We're the common children. We're just on the side."

According to Express, when King Charles III ascends to the throne, he "may bestow royal titles upon his stepchildren."

Although the Queen Consort's children enjoy their privacy, they occasionally make red carpet events to support their family. 

When Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was installed as the Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter by the late Queen Elizabeth II, her children made a rare appearance.

But who is the Queen Consort's daughter, Laura Rose Parker Bowles-Lopes? 

Lopes, just like her older brother, grew up in a 17th-century manor called Bolehyde Manor in Allington, North Wiltshire.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, she studied in St Mary's Shaftesbury, a Catholic girls' boarding school, before attending Heywood Preparatory School. 

According to E!, Camilla wanted to give her children "a stable home life." But it didn't come easy, considering things were complicated. Laura, like her brother, knew King Charles as a family friend until the 1993 phone call — often dubbed "Tampongate" or "Camillagate" — between their mom and then-Prince of Wales leaked.

She went on to pursue a History of Art and Marketing program at Oxford Brookes University, paving the way for her future career as an art curator. 

She kicked off her career with a stellar rise, starting out as an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy. She then joined Tatler and worked as a motoring correspondent in 2001. She then started to make a mark in the art scene after managing The Space Gallery a few years later. She went on to become a co-founding partner and gallery director of London's Eleven gallery in 2005. 

In 2006, Lopes married former Calvin Klein model and chartered accountant, Harry Marcus George Lopes. Hello! magazine reported that on her special day, Laura wore a dress by Anna Valentine, the same designer who designed Camilla's wedding dress when she married Prince Charles. The couple now has three children: Eliza and twin boys Gus and Louis. 

In Katie Nicholl's 2010 book William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls, she talked about Lopes and William getting into arguments before their parents got married. "William would blame Camilla for all the hurt she had caused his mother, which would send Laura into a rage," she added. 

Following the wedding of King Charles III and his wife Camilla in 2005, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Lopes were photographed leaving the Guidhall in Windsor Castle. It also served as proof that the three eventually went along and grew close. In fact, Lopes' daughter Eliza served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. 

"When they stopped blaming one another's parents and let go of their painful pasts, Laura and William got along well," Nicholl said. 

While she won't be assigned to any royal duties due to her not being directly in line to the throne, Express reported that there's a possibility for King Charles III to "bestow royal titles upon his stepchildren when he ascends to the throne." 

But in the event that Charles III decides not to bestow any title to Lopes, she will still get to become a baroness because her husband, Harry Lopes, is the son of a baron, according to IBT. 

In any case, the future looks bright for Lopes and her brother Tom as King Charles III has reportedly put up a trust for them, according to Hello! magazine. "He is determined that Laura and Tom should be looked after and supported if the worst happens to him," the source said. 

While others may see her as an outsider in the royal family, King Charles III definitely sees her as his own — and that's what matters. 

How do you feel about Laura Lopes' relationship with her stepdad and stepbrothers? Let us know your thoughts, and pass this on to people who might be interested to read this story!