The kids are running the castle now.
All four of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s children were by the Queen’s side when she died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Three of them are likely to respond by taking on larger roles in the Royal Family.
Charles
The man known for more than 60 years as Prince Charles immediately became King Charles III upon his mother’s death. Born Nov. 14, 1948, Charles was named Prince of Wales at age 9 and held that title for longer than anyone in history.
Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981, and they had two children together — William in 1982 and Harry in 1984. But their marriage soured relatively quickly, and the couple formally separated in 1992 before completing their divorce in 1996.
After the split, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. The two had dated before, during and after Charles’ marriage to Diana. Camilla, 75, will be named queen consort.
Of his long wait to rule, Charles once told a crowd outside a department store: “I remember there were an enormous number of people who were trying to get in, as they were waiting for me to get out! Story of my life.”
Anne
Born Aug. 15, 1950, as the second child of Elizabeth and Philip, Princess Anne is actually last in line for the throne among her siblings because she’s a woman.
In 1973, Anne married Capt. Mark Phillips. They had two children, Peter and Zara, but didn’t give them fancy royal titles. The couple divorced in 1992. That same year, Anne married her second husband, Timothy Laurence.
Anne was a horse girl from the time she was a kid and competed in equestrian at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Phillips, her first husband, won a gold medal in equestrian at the 1972 Munich Games.
The rule about daughters getting bumped to the end of the succession line was changed in 2013, so Princess Charlotte, son of William and Kate, is ahead of her younger brother, Prince Louis.
Andrew
Born Feb. 19, 1960, Prince Andrew is eighth in line for the throne despite his disgraceful relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew will likely never be king because he’s behind five children who are decades younger than him. But he maintained his position in line even after Elizabeth stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages in January 2022.
Though Andrew was somewhat cast out, he was still at Balmoral Castle when his mother died.
In February 2022, Andrew settled a lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme who said she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times.
Edward
Born March 10, 1964, Prince Edward has lived a relatively calm life by royal standards. Being the youngest child helped Edward stay out of the headlines; his most notable controversy was when he dropped out of Royal Marines training in 1987.
Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, and they have two children together: Louise and James. Unlike Princess Anne, Edward gave his children royal titles.
At 13th in the line of succession, Edward is unlikely to ever sit on the British throne. However, in 1994, he was offered the chance to be King of Estonia as part of the country’s separation from the Soviet Union. He turned it down.
