Queen Camilla: Here's everything we know about her daughter, Laura Lopes

Prince William and Prince Harry may be the centre of the Royal limelight alongside their wives Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. But what you may not have known is that William and Harry also have a step-sister and step-brother, Laura Lopes and Tom Parker Bowles.

It’s no secret that Camilla Parker Bowles was married before wedding the love of her life King Charles. But what many forget is that Camilla also has two children with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles.

Who is William and Harry's stepsister, Laura Lopes?

Laura Lopes is almost unknown to the general public. She joined the Royal Family in 2005, when her mother married the then-Prince Charles. It was then that she became the step-sister of Princes William and Harry. To catch you up, here’s a few things you didn’t know about Laura...

Laura Parker Bowles was born on January 1, 1978 in Swindon. As a child, she grew up at Bolehyde Manor in Allington, then at Middlewick House in Corsham with her brother, Tom Parker Bowles, a food critic.

Laura spent her schooling at St Mary's Shaftesbury, a Catholic boarding school for girls. Then she went (with her brother) to Heywood Preparatory School, before being accepted at Oxford University. There, she chose to study art history and marketing.

With her experience and knowledge from school, she landed a three-month internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a museum located in Venice. After that, she became an automotive correspondent for Talter magazine in 2001. Laura went on to become the director of The Space Gallery in London and founding partner and director of Eleven Gallery also in London.

Laura Lopes, wife and mother

Laura Parker Bowles becomes Laura Lopes when she married her husband, Harry Marcus George Lopes, former model turned accountant. Harry is also the grandson of a Baron and is related to the famously wealthy Astor family…

It was on May 6, 2006, at the Anglican Church of St Cyriac, that the lovebirds said yes. Prince William and Kate Middleton were present for the occasion.

At her wedding, Laura Lopes wears a sublime wedding dress by Anna Valentine, the famous designer who had herself made Camilla's dress a year earlier. And after the church, it was at Ray Mill that the bride and groom met their guests for the reception.

Laura and Harry Lopes' three children

Laura and Harry have three children. About two years after their marriage, in 2008, Laura and her husband welcome their first child: a little girl named Eliza. Then, in 2009, the couple welcomed twins.

In fact, the children of Laura and Harry are cousins of George, Charlotte, and Louis, the children of William and Kate, but also of Archie and Lilibet, the children of Harry and Meghan. Eliza was even named maid of honour at William and Kate's wedding in 2011.

Evidently, Laura attended Harry and Meghan's wedding in the spring of 2018. She also attended some family gatherings, however, she remained in the background of the Royal Family.

Camilla and Charles' relationship with Laura Lopes

Camilla is seemingly a proud mother. Even though Camilla is now a part of the Royal Family,she always lets people know that her children are still a huge part of her life. During Camilla’s Zoom interviews you can even see countless pictures of Laura decorating the background...

According to Royal protocol, when Charles ascends to the throne at his coronation on 6 May, he will be able to bestow Royal titles upon his two step-children. This means that Laura may one day join the ranks as a Countess or Duchess.

Read more:

⋙ King Charles: This is what he said to Camilla during that infamous phone call that shocked the world

⋙ Queen Camilla's family sparks controversy with prominent role in King Charles' coronation

Laura Lopes' relationship with William and Harry

In an interview that Laura's brother Tom gave with Good Morning Britain last year, he explained why he and his sister were not often seen at Royal events, saying the pair were 'not quite part of the royal family, to be honest':

My mother married into it. She’s part of it. We’re the common children. We’re just on the side.

However, according to Public, the Princes and their step-siblings have grown very close. Indeed, now that they are all parents, they would like each child to grow up with their cousins, but also with their aunts and uncles!

According to her biographer, Andrew Norton, the late Princess Diana 'would have loved to have a daughter'. William and Harry 'really want their half-sister to be an aunt to George, Charlotte, Louis and Archie'. As a tribute to their mother, they apparently want this bond to grow stronger.

Read more ⋙ Prince William and his stepsister used to have ‘terrible fights’, claims author

This article has been adapted from Oh!mymag FR.

Sources used:

Public: 'Laura Lopes la soeur cachee dont les princes Harry et William veulent se rapprocher'