Queen Camilla is one of the most controversial figures to join the British royal family. Before marrying King Charles III on April 9, 2005, Camilla met him in 1970 at a polo match. According to Britannica, many people in their friend group assumed that Charles would propose to Camilla. But in 1973, the then-25-year-old Camilla wed British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.

The couple had two children together but eventually divorced in 1995. Throughout their first marriages, Charles and Camilla continued their romantic connection. According to NBCNews, in the 90s, the public blamed Camilla for the devastating end of Princess Diana and Charles’ marriage. British tabloids often refer to Camilla as the “third person” in Diana and Charles’ marriage. She was even regarded as one of the “most hated woman in Britain.”

It took decades, but Camilla changed how the public viewed her using her platform to delve into humanitarianism. The queen 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.” In September 2024, one poll found that 49% of the British public approved of Camilla, a far cry from her troubled past.

Despite their marriage starting in deep controversy, the couple has shown nothing but love for one another and their children. Although the queen won the heart of Britain, her children have shied away from the spotlight. Sources have even revealed that Camilla’s children feel they’re not part of the family. Keep reading to learn more about Camilla’s children.

Camilla has two children, a son and daughter named Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes (born Laura Parker Bowles), with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles. Following her divorce from Andrew, Camilla wed then-Prince Charles and became the Duchess of Cornwall. At the time, Camilla took a different title than the proposed title of “Princess of Wales” because the beloved late Princess Diana was bestowed that title.

According to Express, royal biographer Penny Junor noted in her biography, “The Firm,” written about Prince Phillip and the royal family, that Camilla’s biggest concern was her stepsons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

“A not insignificant part of the reason why they had waited until 2005 to announce their engagement was a sensitivity towards the boys,” Junor wrote. “They didn’t want to foist a stepmother on William and Harry before they had fully grown up.”

However, Harry revealed in an interview with CBS News in 2023 that he and William did not want their father to marry Camilla.

“We didn’t think it was necessary,” Harry confirmed. “We thought that it was gonna cause more harm than good and that if he was now with his person, that — surely that’s enough. Why go that far when you don’t necessarily need to?  We wanted him to be happy. And we saw how happy he was with her. So, at the time, it was, ‘Ok.’”

Harry explained that he thought that if his father and Camilla got married, she’d be “less dangerous.” When pressed to elaborate, Harry suggested that Camilla needed to rehabilitate her public image.

“That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press. And there was open willingness on both sides to trade of information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her, on the way to being Queen consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street because of that,” Harry added.

As the years passed, Camilla finally connected with her new stepsons. 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 also added: “Don’t feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her.”

Although her new stepsons welcomed Camilla with open arms, their relationship with their new step-siblings was the complete opposite. According to Vanity Fair, royal author Katie Nicholl wrote about how King Charles III and Camilla’s affair affected their children in her 2010 biography “William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls.”

“William would blame Camilla for all the hurt she had caused his mother, which would send Laura into a rage,” Nicholl wrote. “Laura was not having any of it. She would take a hard line and fire back at William: ‘Your father has ruined my life.’”

In an interview with Good Morning Britain, as per Cosmopolitan, Camilla’s son Tom explained that he and his sister have remained out of the royal spotlight because they felt “not quite part of the royal family, to be honest.”

“My mother married into it. She’s part of it,” he said. “We’re the common children. We’re just on the side.”

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. In 2011, Laura’s daughter Eliza was even a bridesmaid at Prince William and Princess Catherine’s wedding.

Although Camilla’s children have kept a low public profile, they have excelled in their respective fields. Tom is a famed British food critic, writer, and cookbook author. In 2005, two 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 Parker Bowles.

Meanwhile, Camilla’s daughter, Laura, is an art curator. In 2006, Laura married former Calvin Klein model 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 Charles. The couple has three children: Eliza and twin boys Gus and Louis Lopes.

Camilla’s children revealed their decision to stay in the periphery of the spotlight was a conscious choice.

“We are married in, we are not the royal family — I’ve never for one second said that,” Tom said when asked by People magazine if he had joined the royal family for their annual Sandringham Christmas party.

“I find everyone incredibly nice and friendly and we’ve know them all for a long time. It does seem natural,” he added.

“That’s not to say myself and the children spend running around palaces,” he added. “I have my own job and the children have school. I haven’t been to Christmas yet for various reasons.”

Despite this, Tom shared that their mother and father, Andrew, still enjoy a friendly platonic relationship.

“My mother and father are still great friends and we will go down on December 27 and my mother will sometimes come,” Tom confirmed. “It is something to work towards. It’s a maturity that is a great thing if — despite a marriage sometimes not working — you can keep it together for the sake of the children and the sake of each other then it’s a very good thing.”