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

Sep 29, 2022 by apost team

For a relatively large portion of the time, the world has always been focused on almost every detail of the life of Prince William and Prince Harry, the sons of the late Princess Diana and King Charles III. From their birth, growing up, teenage escapades, and even their married lives, their every move has been documented, printed on paper, and even broadcasted to the world. However, unbeknownst to many, the two royal princes actually have a sister, hidden behind the spotlight and veering away from the buzz of being a royal family member entails – much like how Princess Diana attempted to do when during the early phases of her relationship with King Charles III. 

On Jul. 29, 1981, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The couple's wedding was truly a perfect fairytale moment, although it sadly didn't give them a fairytale ending. 

Diana was just 20 years old when she married Charles, who was 32. Although they had known each other for a few years, Diana revealed later that the couple had only met 13 times prior to their engagement announcement. A large wedding by any standard, 3,500 attendees fit into St. Paul's Cathedral that day while a televised home audience watched on around the world. The couple had a beautiful, traditional ceremony, and there were even events held around the Commonwealth so everyone could join in on the romantic festivities.

From her stunning wedding dress that recently went on display at Kensington Palace to the beautiful ring she wore — Diana was the epitome of elegance and grace on her special day. Her wedding dress featured the longest train in royal history and truly introduced her to the world as a princess.

Four months after their grand wedding, Princess Diana announced that she was pregnant with Prince William. However, in January 1982, Diana fell down a flight of stairs in Sandringham. After a consultation with the Royal Gynecologist, the fetus was revealed to be safe and unharmed.  

Born on Jun. 21, 1982, Prince William is the firstborn son of then-Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales. Even his birth was an iconic moment. The following morning, his parents debuted the newborn prince to the world on the steps of St. Mary's Hospital, London, for his first photo op.

Ever the world traveler, William joined his parents on his first royal tour in 1983 at just nine months of age, when the then-family-of-three traveled to Australia and New Zealand for a six-week visit. 

His brother, on the other hand, Prince Harry, needs no introduction. As the youngest son of King Charles III and Princess Diana, Harry was literally born in the spotlight. In fact, his first photoshoot happened to be the day after he was born, as is royal tradition. 

Harry was born on Sept. 15, 1984, also at St. Mary's Hospital in London, England. Whenever a child is born in the royal family, it's standard tradition for the parents to allow the public a quick peek at the newborn as they are leaving the hospital. 

According to Marie Claire, Diana and Charles posed with Harry the day after he was born and rushed to their car to get home. The iconic photo featured Harry bundled up, while Charles looked suave in a suit, and Diana wore her now-iconic red outfit, which comprised a red jacket over a white shirt with a Peter Pan collar.

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Despite the happiness that the two princes brought to the British Royal Family, then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage took a sour turn as speculations about Charles' infidelity grew further. 

In the royal family, marriages were held in high regard, and marital issues were not publicly talked about. A royal divorce was unheard of until Charles and Diana came out to the public with the news of their divorce. It wasn't all that shocking since there were constant rumors over the years of King Charles III having an affair with his now-current wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, while he was still married to Diana.

Diana was open about the troubles in her marriage to Charles and even confronted Camilla about their affair in 1989. Diana and Charles separated in 1992, just a decade into their marriage. The issue could no longer stay hidden from the public once Charles confessed to the infidelity claims in 1994. However, even before that, close observers of the royal family had had an inkling as to what was happening.

Princess Diana died on Aug. 31, 1997, from the injuries she sustained in a car crash in a tunnel in Paris, France, which caused widespread media attention and mourning from people all over the world. Her untimely death has been the topic of conversation for many years, as there are still plenty of questions surrounding the tragic incident. Because of this, Camilla and Prince Charles' relationship was subject to even harsher public scrutiny.  

Camilla, now the 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 Apr. 9, 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. However, because of his ex-wife's untimely passing, Charles didn't push to get married to Camilla immediately, taking into consideration his young sons, William and Harry, who were still minors at the time. Charles thought it would be best if he and Camilla waited until his sons were adults for them to wed.

Then, finally, on Apr. 9, 2005, the couple married in a private ceremony, despite having dated in public for six years before tying the knot. Ever since the couple's wedding, their relationship has been a stable one, as they've embarked on royal trips together, as well as many official engagements. 

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." 

Express reported 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. This is contrary to her first marriage with Andrew Parker Bowles, whom the British's upper elite was more familiar with before.

Camilla met Andrew Parker Bowles in the late 1960s and engaged in an on-again, off-again relationship with him for many years. However, the pair's engagement was announced in 1973. At the time of her wedding, Camilla was 25 years old, while her then-husband was 33. It was a highly appreciated society wedding that included many royal guests, including Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

However, this was not the fairytale relationship that the couple had hoped for, and Camilla and Andrew filed for divorce in December 1994 after 21 years of marriage. They had already been living separately for many years prior to this filing. Their divorce was finalized in March of the following year.

But in their more than two decades of being husband and wife, Andrew and Camilla had two children, a son and daughter named Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes (born Laura Parker Bowles). 

Because of then-Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding in 2005, this makes Tom and Laura the official step-children of the King, making her son Tom become Prince William and Prince Harry's step-brother and her daughter Laura, their step-sister. 

This information, however, is not that known to many as Camilla's first family tries to shield it away from the public's scrutiny. The two have publicly expressed their reservations about stepping into the spotlight in order to carry on with their personal lives. 

While some may think that Camilla, Harry, and William were not on good terms, this was the complete opposite of the truth, as stated by numerous accounts of both princes. 

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 added:

"Don't feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her."

Prince Harry seemed to have been more welcoming of Camilla, while Prince William needed warm up more.

In Robert Lacey's book "Battle of Brothers," he claimed that Camilla was taken aback by Prince William's temper. "Harry has freely confessed to his own blazing temper from time to time - and as for his elder brother he has proved no sweet William when roused," he said in the book. 

According to Daily Mail, there were apparently conversations inside the Royal British Family wherein huge family rows in the early stages of Charles and Camilla's marriage. However, Prince William, at the time, did not have the best relationship with his father. Eventually, William came to terms with their relationship as he saw that Camilla made his father happy. 

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. 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."

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 at Prince William 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 and writer. 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.

Camilla's daughter, Laura Lopes, is an art curator. In 2006, Lopes married UK charter accountant Harry Lopes. 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 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, now that King Charles III has ascended to the throne, he "may bestow royal titles upon his step-children."

"All you care about [when it comes to parents] is they're happy and my mother is exceptionally happy at the moment. I've always adored my stepfather; he's always been a kind and good and lovely man. He is a man of warmth, intelligence, and humanity and I think if it ever happens, he will make a fantastic King," Tom said of King Charles III, who is also his godfather. 

What do you think of Prince Harry and Prince William's sister Laura Lopes? Do you believe it is a good decision that she has taken the backseat even though she is still considered part of the British Royal Family? Do you think this decision would change if they received royal titles? Let us know what you think, and make sure to forward this to those who do not know that Prince Harry and William have a step-sister!