By now, we are guessing all of you know that Queen Elizabeth II has left for the heavenly abode. As per the official statement issued by the royal family, Her Majesty passed away peacefully at the age of 96 at Balmoral.
The statement also included an update about Charles and Camilla, now the King and Queen Consort. It read, “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s personal life explored
When we talk about Queen Elizabeth II’s personal life, she was a proud mom of four. She had three sons and one daughter with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh including Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
It has been reported that Charles and Anne were present with Queen Elizabeth II when the news came out and Edward and Andrew flew to Scotland today with Prince William. Continue reading further to know everything about Queen Elizabeth II’s four children.
Prince Charles
Prince CharlesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the first child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Charles Philip Arthur George was born in Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948. He went to Cheam and Gordonstoun schools and soon afterward, he bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge. He also served in Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
Charles tied the knot with Lady Diana Spencer in the year 1981 and the pair welcomed two kids together: Prince William and Prince Harry. The couple got divorced in 1996 after years of infidelity.
Karen Mooney, a former household of the royal family told The Sun, that Charles was unhappy while married to Princess Diana. At that time, she told the media outlet, “Obviously, he was in love with Camilla Parker Bowles at the time but he was the next in line to the throne, so he had to find somebody to bear his heirs and he did what was expected of him.”
Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage was just not meant to last forever. In a media interaction with The Sydney Morning Herald, Princess Diana talked about her marriage to Prince Charles, and said, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” The pair’s marriage still continues to be a hotly debated topic among people.
Then, Charles married his long-time partner, Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. For those of you, who are unaware, let us tell you now Prince Charles, ascended to the throne as King on September 8, 2022, when his mother passed away.
Princess Anne, Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter
Princess Anne is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Her Majesty gave birth to Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise on August 15, 1950, at London royal residence Clarence House. At the moment, she holds the title of Anne, Princess Royal.
Anne acquired her early education from Benenden School and began undertaking royal duties upon adulthood. At that time, she was pretty athletic and she became a respected equestrian, by winning one gold medal in 1971 and two silver medals in 1975 at the European Eventing Championships.
During a 2002 interview with BBC, the 72-year-old royal talked about her childhood days and said, “We as children may have not been too demanding in the sense that we understand what the limitations were in time and the responsibilities placed on her as monarch in the things she had to do and the travels she had to make. But I don’t believe any of us for a second thought she didn’t care for us in exactly the same way as any other mother did.”
Princess Anne got married to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973 but their marriage wasn’t built to last and the couple separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. The former pair shares two children Zara and Peter Phillips. They also have five grandchildren. Then, she married Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, her current husband.
Anne decided not to give any HRH titles to her kids. In a media interaction with Vanity Fair, she spilled the beans on her big decision and said, “I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles. I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Prince Andrew
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip didn’t have another child for nearly a decade after welcoming their daughter, Princess Anne into the world. The couple’s third child, son Andrew Albert Christian Edward aka Prince Andrew, Duke of York joined them earthside on February 19, 1960. He was born at Buckingham Palace.
Prince Edward is Queen’s favorite child. He was homeschooled till the age of 8. After prep school, he went on to Gordonstoun, the same Scotland boarding school which was attended by his father and elder brother back in the day.
Prince Andrew got hitched to Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson in 1986. The pair has two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The couple separated in 1992 and got divorced in 1996.
Lately, Prince Andrew has been in the spotlight due to the sexual abuse allegations pressed against him. He has been accused of being a part of a sex trafficking ring of late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Later on, the allegations were shut down by both the Palace and the prince.
At the time, a statement was issued by Buckingham Palace that read, “The Duke of York has been appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes. His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behavior is abhorrent.”
Despite Andrew’s legal issues and scandals, he and Queen Elizabeth II shared a close and special bond. Royal expert Fitzwilliams told CNN, that Her Majesty’s bond with Andrew dates back to childhood. He said, “When Prince Charles and Princess Anne were born, the queen wasn’t able to spend the time with them that she would have wished.”
Fitzwilliams further added, “However, in 1960, when Andrew was born, the queen had been on the throne for eight years and didn’t have to leave the toddler to tour the Commonwealth for months. She was able to give him more attention and Andrew was someone with whom she’s had a particular affinity.”
Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest child
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, is the youngest child and third son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. When Prince Edward was born, a major tradition was broken. He was Queen’s first child to be born with Prince Philip in the delivery room.
As per the reports of the Independent, royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote that the Duke of Edinburgh was “holding his wife’s hand” as their youngest child came into the world on March 10, 1964.
In her book, My Husband and I: The Inside Story Of 70 Years Of Royal Marriage, Ingrid wrote, “The Queen, by then aged 37, had asked him to be there. She’d been keenly reading women’s magazines that stressed the importance of involving fathers in childbirth and had become fascinated by the idea.”
When Edward turned four, the royal family opened the doors of their house for a production crew to give the viewers a closer look at what their normal life looked like. Their documentary got mixed feedback from the viewers.
Edward stayed away from the flashing cameras more than his brothers. Edward tied the knot with Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. The pair walked down the aisle on 19 June 1999 in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The couple has two children: Lady Louise Windsor and James Viscount Severn.
Out of all the four kids of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Edward is the one who has been most interested in Arts. During a 1987 interview with The Guardian, he said, “I love the razzmatazz of show business. It’s a wonderful world of fantasy and make-believe.”
When Prince Edward turned 23, he began working as a production assistant for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company. In the past, he worked as a production assistant on many musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, Starlight Express, and Cats.
Some of Edward’s own ventures in the entertainment industry have not been very successful. In a media interaction, he described it as a ‘public relations disaster’. His first program in television production was The Grand Knockout Tournament, popularly known as It’s a Royal Knockout. For the show, he asked his family members to compete for their charity.
Prince Edward started his own television production company Ardent Productions in the year 1993. The production house created dramas and documentaries. The production company got dissolved in 2011. At the moment, he is a full-time royal.
We must say Queen Elizabeth II was a doting mom to her four kids. We send our deepest condolences to all the members of the royal family during this hard time. Sending love, light, and strength to all of her four kids. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
