Royal Family

Who Are Queen Elizabeth II's Children? A Refresher

Queen Elizabeth II had four children with Prince Philip, Duke of Edingburgh: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward

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The death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch last week at the age of 96 had many worldwide asking a number of burning questions -- what comes next, when, what's a queen consort and more. Now, as crowds converge on Buckingham Palace to watch her coffin depart for the last time, another question is reemerging.

Who are Queen Elizabeth II's children again? She had four. Here's a refresher for those wondering.

King Charles III

The queen's eldest son and successor was officially proclaimed Britain’s monarch Saturday in a pomp-filled ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism — and, for the first time, broadcast live on television and online.

The 73-year-old Charles, who spent seven decades as heir apparent, automatically became king when his mother died and vowed to follow her example. But the accession ceremony was a key constitutional and ceremonial step that introduced the new monarch to the country, a relic of a time before mass communications.

“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me,” Charles said as he took on the duties of monarch.

King Charles III officially became Britain’s new monarch at a first-ever televised ceremony out of St James’s Palace in London.

Princess Anne

Anne is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Her title has been Princess Royal since 1987 and she's 16th in line for the throne.

What does her title mean, exactly? The title "Princess Royal" is customarily, although not always, given to the eldest daughter of a reigning monarch. Anne handles official engagements and other duties on behalf of King Charles III. She started to undertake royal engagements when she was 18 years old and is now 72.

She was famously targeted in a kidnapping attempt in 1974 and has been involved in a wealth of humanitarian and other projects across the globe. An avid horseback rider, Princess Anne holds membership in the International Olympics Committee. She has been divorced once and has two children. She is married to Sir Timothy Laurence.


Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was effectively banished from public life following sexual misconduct scandals. He was stripped of his honorary military roles in January amid the furor surrounding a lawsuit alleging he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and fears that the scandal -- and his multimillion dollar settlement of the suit -- would taint the House of Windsor. The queen also removed his honorary leadership of various charities, known as royal patronages, and barred him from using the title “his royal highness" in official settings.

Andrew lost another ceremonial honor in April, when the York Council took away his "Freedom of City" badge. The 62-year-old has largely kept out of the public eye since 2019 amid controversy over his friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on federal sex charges.


Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Edward is the youngest of the queen's four children and 13th in line to the throne. He is 58 years old.

A theater aficionado, he stepped down from a company he founded in 2002 to take on royal duties full-time. He is affiliated with more than 70 organizations, mainly related to sports and youth performance.

Edward has two children with his wife, Sophie Rhys-Jones, whom he married in 1999, and was named the Earl of Wessex before that union. In 2019 he earned an additional title, Earl of Forfar.

Today King Charles led a royal procession honoring the late monarch. Natalie Pasquarella reports.

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Photo credits: Getty Images. Photo of Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor by Misan Harriman. Source: The Royal Household/Crown.
Amy O’Kruk/NBC

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