When it comes to Prince William and Harry, there are no secrets. Before too long, the world knows everything about their family, who they're dating, where they are at any given moment, and even what they eat for breakfast. And even if we don't know exactly, we're speculating and creating our own narratives. That's why it's so surprising to know that Prince Harry and Prince William (and the royal family as a whole) have been keeping a secret relative shut behind closed doors for decades. But now the door has opened, and we can finally understand who the elusive secret sister is, and why she has been hidden from view.
A Prince Becomes a King
After the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles took his rightful place on the throne. But while the world sees him as their king, it's important to note that he's so much more than that. He's a father, a son, an uncle, and even a real-life Prince Charming. After all, during his younger days, Charles was known as somewhat of a heartbreaker. And while he married Diana, his heart truly belonged to someone else.
However, the royal family didn't approve of the woman Charles had originally wanted to marry. This left him lost and confused and ultimately caused a shift in the trajectory of the British line of succession.
The Love of His Life
Long before Charles met Diana, he first had the pleasure of meeting Camilla Parker Bowles. The two first met in 1971, and they both fell head over heels for each other. And while Charles was one of the most eligible men in the world, he only had eyes for the young woman in front of him. He was besotted, and he wanted nothing more than to get married and live life by her side.
But after a while, the pressure of the royal family's disapproval tore them apart, and they went their separate ways. However, Charles never forgot about Camilla - and that ultimately affected all of his future relationships.
Pushed to the Side
Not long after, Charles started dating the royal family-approved Lady Diana. And while he certainly loved her in his own way, it wasn't the same love that he had for Camilla. In fact, it's believed that he continued to see Camilla throughout their marriage - despite Diana's protestations and concerns. His ex-wife confirmed this during a 1995 interview with the BBC, when she claimed, "There were three of in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
During this interview, Diana also shared her concerns about the royal family and what the future would hold for her two boys. Little did she know that they'd eventually have a secret sister.
The People's Princess
As the world watched her interview, they were inclined to believe Diana's questions and stories that revolved around the royal family. After all, she was the 'People's Princess.' She had won over the hearts of millions thanks to her charming personality, her charitable nature, her elegance, her style, and her overall demeanor. She seemed perfectly suited to being a princess, but then it was torn away from her thanks to an illicit affair.
But while Diana was no doubt torn apart from her experiences within the royal family, there was only one thing that she was focused on. If all else failed, she wanted to be a good mother.
All About the Kids
While many members of the royal family grew up in boarding schools, spent more time with the nanny than their own parents, and were often treated like adults while they were still kids, Princess Diana wanted Prince William and Harry to live a relatively normal life. For her, raising her children was her main job role. She was a mother first, and then she was a public figure second. And that's why so many people loved her.
In fact, it's been noted that she planned her whole schedule around when she was seeing her sons, and she tried her best to pick them up from school every single day. She wanted to be present.
Parting Ways
When Prince Charles and Lady Diana went their separate ways, there's no doubt about the fact that fans were distraught. To many, they seemed like the ultimate power couple and the ultimate prince and princess. But there were others who weren't surprised. They already lived very separate lives, and rumors of both Charles and Diana's infidelity made their way into the press on countless occasions. To many, their divorce was actually a relief.
The divorce must have taken a toll on Prince William and Prince Harry, but, as we all know, an even bigger tragedy was on the horizon - and it made the whole world stop.
Losing a Legend
On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana was involved in a fatal car accident that led to her death. At the time, she was traveling with her rumored boyfriend in Paris when they were chased by paparazzi and crashed in a tunnel. The world was shocked by the news, and millions of people around the globe paid their respects to the princess in their own way. Some even traveled to England to pay their respects in person.
Outside of Buckingham Palace, rows upon rows of flowers, cards, a presents were left by the gates. This outpouring of love for their mom must have made William and Harry happy, but their lives soon turned upside down once again.
Saying Goodbye
As Princess Diana had been such a public figure in people's lives, it only made sense that her funeral was also very public. Fans lined the street to watch her coffin pass them by, they offered words of love and support to William and Harry, who walked behind the coffin, and millions more watched on television at home. It was extremely tough for people to say goodbye to the People's Princess.
During this time, the royal family were also under scrutiny. And while they probably wanted to do everything they could to avoid another scandal, Prince Charles decided to do something that got everyone talking.
Getting Back Together
Not long after Princess Diana's death, it was rumored that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were reigniting their former flame. As you can imagine, the world had a lot to say about it. Many were critical of their relationship, and they believed that it was way too soon for Charles to be moving on so publicly with a woman he had allegedly cheated on his ex-wife with. But that didn't stop him.
In 2005, Charles and Camilla tied the knot to become husband and wife. And while Charles hoped that their marriage would help Camilla's reputation, it seemed to have the opposite effect.
The World Struggled
Although many fans of the royal family tried to be happy for Prince Charles and his new wife, there was a dark cloud over their nuptials. Many wondered whether Camilla would try to replace the late and beloved Princess Diana, and the majority of people struggled to accept that she would sit by the future king's side. The whole dynamic had shifted, and critics just couldn't get on board with it.
However, the royal family made it clear that Camilla wouldn't be going anywhere. They announced their approval of the marriage, and they confirmed that the couple would be moving forward as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. So, they also had to merge their families.
Starting to Accept Her
For the most part, people were worried about the effect Charles' marriage to Camilla would have on Princes William and Harry. But in 2005, Harry put the record straight. He said, "She's not the wicked stepmother. William and I love her to bits." It was this comment from Harry that changed the way that people viewed her. Before too long, people started to accept Camilla Parker Bowles as the wife of the future king.
However, what many people didn't realize was that Charles didn't just marry Camilla. He also married into her family, which meant that Prince William and Prince Harry suffered as a result.
Camilla Had Children, Too
Of course, everyone knew that Harry and William were the children of Charles and Diana. But few people knew that Camilla also had children from her previous marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles. In fact, she had welcomed a son and a daughter into the world with her ex-husband - and those who knew about them were rightly concerned. How would they fare in the royal family without any royal experience to their names?
Well, before too long, one of Camila's children decided to step into the spotlight and embrace what life in the public eye had to offer. However, her other child has only recently stepped out of the shadows.
Meet Tom Parker-Bowles
Of course, you may already be familiar with Camilla's son, Tom Parker-Bowles. Known professionally as a food critic and writer, Tom has been able to make his mark in the upper echelon of society. Not only is he talented and well-respected in what he does, but he's also used his mom's place in the limelight to open up doors for himself, too. In fact, he's been on television more times than we can count.
Most notably, he has been on respected British television shows such as Masterchef and The F-Word. And in the latter, he even worked alongside Gordon Ramsay. But what about his secret sister?
Meet Laura Lopes
Shrouded under the cover of secrecy is Camilla's other child, Laura Lopes. And while Laura stood beside her mother during the famous royal wedding back in 2005, the world has since learned very little about her. She has kept herself to herself, she has strayed away from the spotlight, and she has actively tried to avoid public outings with her mother so that she doesn't get caught up in the public eye.
At first, many people wondered whether she was shy. But since then, the real reason why she's decided to shun the limelight has come out of the woodwork. And it revolves around Princes William and Harry.
Too Much to Handle
When news of a relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles first hit the press, Tom and Laura were only young. They didn't understand what was going on, they had no idea why paparazzi were following their every move, and they felt as though all eyes were on them. Although Tom didn't mind it, Laura hated every second of this attention. So, she vowed to steer clear of it for as long as she could.
Not only that, but there have also been rumors of a rift between Tom and Laura and Princes William and Harry. After all, tension between siblings is normal - and Laura is technically their step-sister, even though she's largely unknown.
Too Close to Home
Although William and Harry have reportedly spent very little time with their step-siblings over the years, there's no doubt that Tom and Laura know about them. The royal family has been on Laura and Tom's radar since they were babies, and they have grown up learning everything there is to know about the upper echelon of the royal family. Not only that, but they also heard the news about Princess Diana.
Laura, in particular, seems to have learned a lot about the paparazzi and life in the public eye from Princess Diana's experiences. So, she steers clear. The same can't be said about her brother, though.
A Conflicted Relationship
Tom Parker-Bowles seems to have a conflicted relationship with the public and the press. On the one hand, he has chosen to live his life in the limelight and embrace the publicity that comes with being the Queen's son. On the other hand, he knows just how difficult the press can be. During one interview, he spoke candidly about the paparazzi - and he didn't have very nice things to say about them.
He said, "They're bullies, half of these people, and they make you very angry. All I wanted to do was smack them in the face and beat the hell out of them. But you couldn't do that."
Steering Clear
While Tom acknowledges the dangers of the paparazzi, he still lives his life in the public eye. This differs from Prince William and Harry's step-sister, who choose to actively steer clear of the cameras and the reporters. She saw how Diana became a target for the press, and that was not something she wanted for herself. However, this choice does come with its complications, and she has paid a price for this decision.
Despite not wanting a public life, she is the daughter of one of the most famous women in the world and the step-sister of the most famous princes. So, people still speculate.
A Proud Mother
Camilla has said that she is proud of both of her children. Like Diana, her life revolves around her children, and she does everything she can to keep them happy. She's even credited them for helping her out when she feels as though the weight of public pressure and the paparazzi have become too much. And while she regularly steps out with Tom, she seems to respect Laura's wishes for a quieter life.
But this just heightens the questions about Laura Lopes. Does she get on with William and Harry? Is there any bad blood between them? After all, William and Harry have had their own share of family drama.
A Growing Rift
In fact, it's believed that one of the reasons the royal princes have pulled away from each other is due to the strained relationship between their wives. According to reports, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have struggled to maintain a relationship over the years. And while Kate has landed on her feet and become a well-respected figure within the royal family, the same can't be said about Meghan Markle.
Although Meghan has since married Prince Harry and welcomed his children into the world, it seems as though the rift between her and the rest of the royals is just too big to ignore. But what actually happened?
Fighting Amongst Brothers
As the world tried to get to the bottom of what happened between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton to cause such a rift, information seemed to always lead back to the brothers. Many even suspected that the women didn't have any issues with each other personally, but their issues stemmed from the fact that they were backing their husbands when Prince William and Prince Harry were at loggerheads with each other.
Of course, the women felt as though they had no choice but to back their husbands. Not only were they married to both Prince William and Harry, but they also had the whole world watching their marriages like hawks.
A Strained Relationship
Despite the fact that Princes William and Harry are fairly close in age, they couldn't be more different. This is largely due to the fact that they were brought up fairly differently - especially after their mother passed away. As first in the line of succession, Prince William has been training to become king his whole life. This has led him to become disciplined and serious. Prince Harry is a little different, though.
Without such a big responsibility on his shoulders, he's been known as the happy-go-lucky, rule-breaking royal. In fact, he has even called himself the 'spare' in his tell-all memoir about his life.
Broken the Trust
It seems as though Prince Harry is aware of how different he is from his brother and his father, too. This has led him to distance himself from his family and speak out about the royal family in a way that no royal has ever done before. In one extract of his book, he even called out his father and his brother for breaking his trust. He said, "The trust is gone. He has torpedoed any remaining bridges."
More than anything, Prince Harry didn't seem to like the fact that he was left out of discussions and important meetings because he wasn't first in line to the throne. He even wrote, "The Institution was without a doubt withholding information from me."
Keeping It Under Wraps
What's so interesting about the rift between the brothers, however, is that it was kept largely under wraps until Harry decided to write his tell-all memoir. Until that point, the public had assumed that the main issues were between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. And while we're sure they had their own personal squabbles and differences, it seems as though it was their marriages that put the blockade between them.
In the end, things became so bad that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to distance themselves from the royal family officially. They moved to America and relinquished their titles as working royals.
A New Addition
For some people, this wasn't a surprise. Harry had always been different to his brother, and he had always seemed to fight back against what was expected of him. He proved this when he married Meghan Markle, after all. Although many people expected him to marry an eligible British socialite, he chose to devote his life and his love to an American actress who had already been married and divorced.
Some people struggled to get to grips with Meghan Markle's place in the royal family, but there's no denying that she tried her hardest to fit in. But, like Harry, she also didn't want to play by the rules.
Fighting Against Tradition
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married, he was expected to follow in the footsteps of his cousins and his brother by moving into Kensington Palace. This stunning royal estate is home to numerous members of the royal family, including Kate Middleton and Prince William, who live in a beautiful 21-room apartment there. Not only that, but their neighbors also include Princess Eugenie and the Duke and Duchess of Kent.
The late Queen Elizabeth II had made arrangements for Meghan and Harry to follow suit and move into an apartment next door to William and Kate. However, they decided against it.
Isolating Themselves
When they discovered that they were expecting Prince Archie, Harry and Meghan decided that they didn't want to raise their child and future children in Kensington Palace. So, they made other arrangements and moved into the much smaller Frogmore Cottage, which resides in the grounds of Windsor. This move took everyone by surprise, as people just couldn't understand why they'd move even further away from their family and close friends.
But it seemed as though the couple wanted more privacy for themselves and their growing family. And while Kensington Palace could have been a lovely home, they wanted something smaller and more family-friendly.
Shying Away From the Public
On the one hand, fans of Prince Harry understood why he would want to move away from the prying eyes of Kensington Palace. The palace was crawling with staff and other families who called the royal residence their home. And while their new cottage was significantly smaller than an apartment in Kensington Palace, it was more secluded and private for a growing family. Plus, it gave them a chance to escape the limelight.
But this was just the start for Meghan and Harry. After moving to their cottage, they seemed to become even more withdrawn from their place in the spotlight. But what caused this sudden change of heart?
Royal Speculation
The general public has often been protective of the bond between Princes William and Harry. While they have always been very different, they have also been very united - especially since the death of their mother. When Diana passed away, many believed that her sons would follow in her footsteps and unite the world. So, seeing Harry move away from his brother and lock himself away in a cottage didn't sit well with them.
To make matters even worse, even more stories of a rift between the pair were making their way into the press. it seemed as though something serious had happened between them, and we were about to find out.
The Real Reason
As the older brother, Prince William has often been seen as the leader of the pack. And while Harry has always respected his older brother's opinion, he hasn't always appreciated his input. This was supposedly the case when Harry introduced Meghan to his family for the first time. Although he was excited to show Meghan off to William and Kate at Kensington Palace, William didn't respond in the way that Harry had hoped.
According to reports, William was quick to share his concerns about Meghan with Harry. This didn't go down well with Harry, and was reportedly the first nail in the coffin for the two brothers and their relationship.
Unwanted Advice
Of course, Prince William thought that he was giving his brother some important brotherly advice - both from a loving point of view, but also from a royal point of view. He wanted to share his thoughts before Harry decided to pop the question and commit himself to this woman, and he wanted to voice his opinions before it was too late. But Harry didn't like what he was hearing.
It's alleged that William told Harry to be careful with Meghan, and to be careful choosing the woman he was going to call his wife. He also told Harry to really think about his decision rather than rushing into anything.
The Wrong Wording
According to sources, William's intentions weren't to hurt Harry's feelings or tear down Meghan. He just wanted to share his concerns and be gentle with the whole situation. However, it seems as though his choice of words wasn't appreciated, and Harry saw it more as an attack than brotherly advice. Because of this, he just didn't want to listen to William. He wanted to follow his heart and do what he wanted.
While Harry refused to listen to his brother, going against his older brother's advice worked against him. His decision to go ahead with the engagement seemed to make the rift between Harry and his family even bigger.
A Gentle Warning
William wasn't telling Harry to break up with Meghan, though. According to royal sources, William wanted to gently remind Harry of his place within the world and with the royal family as a whole. He wanted to remind Harry that the woman he brought into the family needed to be 100% right for the job. After all, it wasn't just a marriage. Being married to a prince also came with huge responsibilities.
William wanted to make sure that Meghan was ready for the adventure that they would be embarking on, as it was a tough job that could something put you under intense scrutiny.
Hitting Below the Belt
Although William reportedly had wholesome intentions, Harry didn't see it that way. He saw his brother's words as a hit below the belt, and he didn't think that it was appropriate at all. All he wanted was for his brother to meet Meghan like a normal human being - rather than a member of the royal family. Because of this, the conversation allegedly became extremely heated, and the brothers became embroiled in an argument.
Before too long, the world was then introduced to Meghan. And much to Harry's dismay, the press and the public had many of the same questions and concerns as Prince William.
A Difficult Family
While many people were quick to criticize Harry's choice of bride, some people couldn't understand the hate that was being directed Meghan's way. They were of the opinion that if she made Harry happy, that was all that mattered. However, that didn't stop the many questions surrounding her race, her career, her romantic history, and even her family. In fact, some people just couldn't get onboard with her family - especially her father and half-sister.
While Meghan was estranged from these family members, that didn't stop them from talking to the press. And everything they seemed to throw Meghan even further into the spotlight - and not in a good way.
Not Ready for an American?
Many also thought that her American roots weren't appropriate for the British Royal Family. Harcore royalists wanted Harry to marry a British woman, and the African-American woman he had asked to marry him just didn't fit that bill. Of course, Harry wouldn't stand for such a racist tirade against his bride-to-be, and on one occasion, he even wrote an open letter to the press, asking them to stop hounding Meghan.
This whole ordeal must have been incredibly hard for Meghan to deal with. She had found the man she wanted to marry - but the downside was that he was a prince, and the whole world was watching.
Battling Through It All
Despite the criticism hitting them at every angle, Meghan and Harry were able to battle through it all. In fact, they found strength in each other during this time, and it seemed to solidify their love even more. For many former critics, the fact that they stayed together and eventually tied the knot proved that their love was real and that Meghan was in it for the right reasons. Of course, many critics still remained.
Thankfully, the royal family publicly welcomed Meghan into the family, too. They became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and they were both put to work as working royals. Then, everything changed.
Feeling Very Protective
It's normal for your family to have their opinions about the decisions you make, and this is something that Harry has reportedly struggled with over the years - even after he got married. According to royal sources, Harry continued to protect his wife after their wedding. He wouldn't let any of his family members of royal staff members talk badly about his wife, even if what they wanted to say was in his best interests.
It seemed as though he had put a wall up to protect himself and his marriage. But in doing so, he built a wall between himself and his family, and eventually, it tore the whole family apart.
Thinking About His Mom
But why was Harry so protective over his wife? According to royal sources, it's because he likens his wife to his mother. The source explains, "It's my opinion that Harry feels he couldn't protect his mother, so he's going all out to protect his wife." After all, his mother died after being hounded by the media and the paparazzi, and we bet Harry didn't want the same thing to happen to his wife.
Harry obviously doesn't want history to repeat itself, and he wants his marriage to survive the fact that he lives in the limelight. But, sadly, this protection comes at a very big cost.
The Fab Four
There was once a time when Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle were dubbed "The Fab Four." From the outside, it seemed as though they were the best of friends and extremely close as a family. But from the sounds of it, tensions have been high ever since Meghan Markle was brought into the picture. So, perhaps they weren't as close as the world first thought they were?
Now, Harry and Meghan have retreated from the limelight and now have very little to do with the rest of the royal family. And in a way, that's reminiscent of his secret step-sister.