A Guide to the Current Working Royals: King Charles III and Beyond

Getty Images (2)

One of ’s goals upon assuming the throne after his mother, , died at age 96 in September 2022 was to slim down the monarchy.

The mission raised eyebrows in January 2024 when both Charles and faced health challenges.

canceled several appearances at the time so he could take on more childcare duties while Kate recovered from an abdominal procedure. It was later announced that both Kate and Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.

Royal expert and author exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2024 that Charles’ vision for a slimmed-down institution was “clearly” presenting “a challenge” for the royal family.

“It is a much smaller working unit than it used to be. Three of the main players are out of action at the moment,” he said about Charles, Kate and William.

There are indeed significantly fewer working royals than there were not so long ago. In the past five years alone, the firm has lost and (they stepped down from their senior duties in 2020), (he died at age 99 in 2021), (he was stripped of his titles in 2022 after being accused of sexual assault, which he has denied) and the queen herself.

Keep scrolling for a current list of the working members of the British royal family:

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesKing Charles III

Charles became king after Elizabeth’s death. In March 2024, he resumed his royal duties amid ongoing cancer treatments.

Chris Jackson – Pool via Samir Hussein/WireImageQueen Camilla

Camilla married Charles in 2005 and was known as the Duchess of Cornwall. She became queen consort upon Elizabeth’s death. According to the official website of the royal family, Camilla supports Charles in carrying out his duties and works with several charities.

Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty ImagesPrince William

William, who is the eldest son of Charles and the late , is the heir to the throne. He lives in Kensington Palace with Kate and their three children: Prince George, born in 2013, Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, and Prince Louis, born in 2018.

Andrew Milligan – Pool/Getty ImagesPrincess Kate

Kate married William in 2011 and has been a working royal ever since. She supports a number of organizations, including the Royal Foundation, with her charity work focusing on early childhood care, addiction and art.

After weeks of widespread speculation and viral conspiracy theories about Kate’s health and whereabouts, Kate revealed in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she said in a video shared across social media. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”

The following September, she announced that her treatment was complete and said she’d slowly return to work.

“Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she shared in a statement. “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can. Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”

Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesPrincess Anne

Anne, the second child of Elizabeth and Phillip, is widely known as the most hardworking royal. She began undertaking royal duties at age 18 and is involved with more than 300 charities and organizations worldwide. She has been president of Save the Children UK since 1970.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesPrince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh

The youngest child of Elizabeth and Phillip, Edward stepped down from his film production company, Ardent Productions, in 2002 to begin full-time duties as a working member of the royal family.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which recognizes young people for completing a series of self-improvement exercises, has been a focus of his life and work.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesSophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

Sophie married Edward in 1999 and became a full-time working royal in 2002. Much of her work focuses on equality for women and eliminating avoidable blindness.

Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Richard is the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin. His parents were , and .

Formerly an architect, Richard ended his architectural career in 1972 after his older brother, , died in a flying competition. He became Duke of Gloucester upon his father’s death in 1974.

According to the official website of the royal family, Richard is still involved with several organizations that reflect his architectural interests and is President of the Scottish Society of the Architect-Artists.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesBirgitte, Duchess of Gloucester

Birgitte married Richard in 1972, six weeks before Richard’s brother William died. She is involved with more than 60 organizations including The Children’s Society, the Friends of St. Paul’s Cathedral and Hope for Youth Northern Ireland.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid email. Subscribe

By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly

Deal of the DayScore This Rich Mom-Style Matching Set Now for 20% Off!View Deal

Check our latest news in Google News

Follow Us

Check our latest news in Apple News

Follow UsjQuery( document ).ready( function( $ ) { let randomNumber = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 ), is_spanish = false, is_featured_post = false; if ( randomNumber < 96 && $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).length ) { $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).show(); $( '#news-block .news-widget, #news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); } else { if( $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).length ) { $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).remove(); } if ( is_spanish ) { // 99% should be newsletter signup if ( randomNumber < 99 ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } } else if ( is_featured_post ) { // no newsletter block $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } else { // 50/50 if( 0 === parseInt( $.now() ) % 2 ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } } if ( navigator.userAgent.match( /(iPod|iPhone|iPad)/ ) ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget .google-news' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .news-widget .apple-news' ).remove(); } } } ); Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesPrince Edward, Duke of Kent

Another cousin of Elizabeth, Edward’s parents were and. He has been a working member of the royal family since he retired from the British Army in 1976.

Edward has been President of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since 1969 and is passionate about commemorating veterans’ contributions.

Karwai Tang/WireImagePrincess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy

Alexandra is the Duke of Kent’s sister and therefore also a cousin of Elizabeth. She trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street in 1957 and her interest in medicine is reflected in her work. She is the joint president of Cancer Research UK alongside the Duke of Gloucester, who is her cousin.

In this articleDuchess SophieKing Charles IIIPrince EdwardPrince WilliamPrincess AnnePrincess KateQueen Camilla

A Guide to the Current Working Royals: King Charles III and Beyond

A Guide to the Current Working Royals: King Charles III and Beyond

A Guide to the Current Working Royals: King Charles III and Beyond

A Guide to the Current Working Royals: King Charles III and Beyond

A Guide to the Current Working Royals: King Charles III and Beyond