His Crowning Achievement: Meet King Charles III's Grandchildren

The Mountbatten-Windsor family is arguably the most recognizable royal family in history (save for the infamous Tudors). Now led by King Charles III, son of the long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II, the Mountbatten-Windsors have expanded their numbers by five in the past few years. Learn more about King Charles III's grandchildren; they're just in the first stages of their lives.

King Charles III and Princess Diana's Family

King Charles III and Diana Spencer's tumultuous marriage was cannon fodder for the British tabloid press, and her untimely death in 1997 marked an end of an era. She left behind two young children, Prince William and Prince Harry. The former was born on June 21, 1982, and the latter on September 15, 1984. Now middle-aged men, these two have started their own families. Get to know the youngest family members in the royal line of succession.

Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton's Family

Prince William married his longtime love, Catherine (Kate) Middleton, in a massive celebration in 2011. Since then, they've settled into their duties as members of a royal family and had three children, each one an heir to the British Monarchy.

Prince George Alexander Louis

George Alexander Louis Mountbatten-Windsor is the first son of the Prince and Princess of Wales. He was born on July 22, 2013, and is currently attending Lambrook School. As of right now, he holds the title of Prince of Wales.

Since King Charles didn't get the opportunity to spend much time with his own royal grandfather, he's taken a shine to his grandchildren. Most recently, he orchestrated Prince George being involved in his coronation (as he was for his mother's) as a Page of Honor.

He obviously has a fondness for the third in line for the throne, as he tweeted on George's ninth birthday a photo with a short happy birthday message and a cupcake emoji.

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Charlotte Elizabeth Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is the Prince and Princess of Wales' second child. She was born on May 2, 2015, and currently attends the Lambrook School alongside her older brother. She holds the title Princess of Wales.

Princess Charlotte holds a special place in King Charles' heart since he had been rooting to have a daughter with his first wife, Diana. Thankfully for him, he got the next best thing - a granddaughter. Although there are more anecdotes from the days when George was younger, there's plenty of evidence that he has a real connection to all of his grandchildren.

In fact, Camilla admitted in a BBC documentary that Charles crawls "about with them for hours, you know, making funny noises and laughing."

Prince Louis Arthur Charles

Louis Arthur Charles is the Prince and Princess of Wales' third child and was born on April 23, 2018. Currently, he holds the title Prince of Wales.

Still a wee lad, there's so many more years for Charles to dote on his eldest's youngest child. For example, during the Queen's 2022 Platinum Jubilee, he was photographed occupying an active Louis by bouncing him on his lap during the event.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Family

In a thrilling turn of events, the 'spare' Prince Harry married divorcée American actress Meghan Markle in 2018. In a historic move, the two stepped down from their duties as members of the British royal family and moved out of the Commonwealth to sunny California. Currently, they have two children.

Prince Archie Harrison

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor is the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first child, and he was born on May 6, 2019. As it stands, he holds the title Prince of Sussex.

Prince Archie's existence caused the biggest scandal in Charles' life since his affair with Camilla went public. In a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle revealed the bombshell news that some concerns from an unnamed member of the royal entourage had been raised about how dark her son's skin color would be.

The outrage was palpable, and with a divide growing between Harry, Meghan, and the royal family, there was (and still is) significant speculation that it was Charles who made the comments. Although nothing's ever been confirmed, Harry and Meghan's split and move added to the distance, meaning that it's likely Charles isn't as close to his second son's grandkids.

Princess Lilibet Diana

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor is the youngest of King Charles III's grandchildren and was born on June 4, 2021. Currently, she holds the title Princess of Sussex.

Unlike his eldest son's kids, he hasn't had the same tight-knit relationship with his youngest's, and a point of controversy for Charles in recent years is the fact that he didn't meet his granddaughter Lilibet right away. Although the pandemic was a huge roadblock, he didn't get much sympathy from the public.

Thankfully for him, he got to meet the baby in what has been called an emotional meeting for the first time at the Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

King Charles' Blended Family With Queen Consort Camilla Bowles

King Charles' first love was Camilla Bowles, and due to staunch British traditional and Bowles' being a divorcée, the two didn't marry until after Charles and Diana's divorce. The infamous affair between the two is common knowledge, but what's less well-known is the fact that Camilla brought two children from her first marriage into the royal family.

Tom Parker Bowles and Sara Buys' Family

Tom Parker Bowles is Camilla's first child, born in 1974. He took a hard left away from anything related to the royal household and became a British food critic and author instead. In 2005, he married Sara Buys, but they separated in 2018. Yet, before their separation, they had two children together: Lola and Frederick.

Lola & Frederick Bowles

Lola Bowles was born in 2007, and is Tom Parker Bowles and Sara Buys' first child. Her younger brother, Frederick, was born in 2010. While they're both reaching early teen years, they don't seem to be as chronically online as kids their age.

And, they're consistently (if not frequently) visited by their grandmother and step-grandfather. In an interview reveal, Tom explained that his children call King Charles' Umpa and Queen Consort Camilla Gaga.

Laura Parker Bowles & Harry Lopes' Family

Laura Parker Bowles was born in 1978, and just like her brother, pursued substantially more creative avenues in her adulthood. She's interned and managed several art galleries, including London's Eleven gallery. In 2006, she married accountant Harry Lopes, and the two have three children together.

Eliza, Gus, & Louis Lopes

Laura and Harry's first child, Eliza, was born in 2008 and their second & third children (a pair of fraternal twins named Gus & Louis) were born in 2009. Much like their cousins, these three stay out of the limelight, save for customary events. Although, it's believed that they see their royal grandfather and grandmother regularly.

Where Are King Charles III's Grandchildren in the Line of Succession?

Succession has historically been a nasty business, where at times families weren't only torn apart, but entire countries embroiled in war over the question of who has the greater claim to the throne. Thankfully, today there's a very clear legal line of succession to the British monarchy.

When Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, the line of succession shifted, and (now) King Charles' children and biological grandchildren moved up the line. So, where does that leave everyone?

The Royal Legacy Lives On

Unlike the infamous fight for an heir that swept the British monarchy several times over, there's no current fear over filling the gilded seat. As King Charles III ascends the throne, his two sons and five grandchildren stand as an assurance that his biological line continues to wear the crown. Each of his grandchildren is still too young to have much of a public persona or personality, but they're sure to blossom in the coming years.