There are numerous members of the royal family; King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet…
We seriously could go on and on.
But there are only a handful of Windsors who are considered ‘working royals’.
Who are the 11 working royals?
King Charles III
King Charles is the current monarch of the UK and the other 14 Commonwealth realms. He has been a working royal for his entire adult life – he first began back when he was the Prince of Wales and heir apparent.
Recently, Charles has stepped back from official duties as he’s currently recovering from cancer. But he is still classified as a working royal.
Queen Camilla
Queen Camilla has been a working royal ever since she married Charles in 2005. Recently, Camilla has been working overtime as a royal in light of her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
Prince William, Prince of Wales
Prince William, like his father King Charles, has been a working royal for his entire adult life.
Princess Catherine, Princess of Wales
Princess Catherine first became a working royal in 2011, when she married William. Like King Charles, the Princess of Wales is currently taking a break from official duties as she too is recovering from cancer.
Princess Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne has been crowned ‘hardest working royal’ numerous times throughout her life. It’s because the Princess Royal carries out an impressive number of royal duties each year; for instance, last year alone she attended 457 engagements.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward, like his older brother King Charles, has been a working royal for his entire adult life.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
In 1999, after she married Prince Edward, Sophie became a working royal.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, used to work as an architect. However, he became a working royal in 1972, after his older brother tragically died in an accident.
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Birgitte became a working royal after she wed Richard in 1972.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, became a working royal in 1976 after he left the British Army.
Princess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra, cousin of both the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, has been a working royal since the late 1950s.
Why aren’t Beatrice and Eugenie working royals?
Royal sisters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have never been considered ‘working royals’. It’s never been publicly announced why not, but there are several theories…
One theory is that neither sister has a desire to be a working royal. Another is that they’re not allowed to become working royals in light of the numerous scandals their father Prince Andrew has been involved in. Of course, these are just speculations and no one but the royal family knows the real reason.
Who is the oldest working royal?
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent is the oldest working royal. He turns 89 in October 2024.
What is the difference between a working royal and a non working royal?
The definition of a working royal is a member of the royal family who represents the monarch at official engagements.
Therefore, the 11 current working royals are all expected to represent King Charles at various events and carry out several duties on behalf of King Charles.
These events and duties can include:
- Carrying out international trips and tours
- Opening buildings
- Meeting with international dignitaries
- Hosting official state dinners and other events
- Attending parliamentary and constitutional functions
- Handing out honours
Non-working royals are still members of the royal family but do not represent the monarch at official engagements.
Non-working royals include Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Harry, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie, Princess Lilibet, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent.
