One of King Charles III’s goals upon assuming the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at age 96 in September 2022 was to slim down the monarchy.
The mission raised eyebrows in January 2024 when both Charles and Princess Kate Middleton faced health challenges.
Prince William canceled several appearances at the time so he could take on more childcare duties while Kate recovered from an abdominal procedure. It was later announced that both Kate and Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.
Royal expert and author Robert Hardman exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2024 that Charles’ vision for a slimmed-down institution was “clearly” presenting “a challenge” for the royal family.
“It is a much smaller working unit than it used to be. Three of the main players are out of action at the moment,” he said about Charles, Kate and William.
There are indeed significantly fewer working royals than there were not so long ago. In the past five years alone, the firm has lost Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (they stepped down from their senior duties in 2020), Prince Phillip (he died at age 99 in 2021), Prince Andrew (he was stripped of his titles in 2022 after being accused of sexual assault, which he has denied) and the queen herself.
Keep scrolling for a current list of the working members of the British royal family:
King Charles III
Charles became king after Elizabeth’s death. In March 2024, he resumed his royal duties amid ongoing cancer treatments.
Queen Camilla
Camilla married Charles in 2005 and was known as the Duchess of Cornwall. She became queen consort upon Elizabeth’s death. According to the official website of the royal family, Camilla supports Charles in carrying out his duties and works with several charities.
Prince William
William, who is the eldest son of Charles and the late Princess Diana, is the heir to the throne. He lives in Kensington Palace with Kate and their three children: Prince George, born in 2013, Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, and Prince Louis, born in 2018.
Princess Kate
Kate married William in 2011 and has been a working royal ever since. She supports a number of organizations, including the Royal Foundation, with her charity work focusing on early childhood care, addiction and art.
After weeks of widespread speculation and viral conspiracy theories about Kate’s health and whereabouts, Kate revealed in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she said in a video shared across social media. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”
The following September, she announced that her treatment was complete and said she’d slowly return to work.
“Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she shared in a statement. “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can. Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”
Princess Anne
Anne, the second child of Elizabeth and Phillip, is widely known as the most hardworking royal. She began undertaking royal duties at age 18 and is involved with more than 300 charities and organizations worldwide. She has been president of Save the Children UK since 1970.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
The youngest child of Elizabeth and Phillip, Edward stepped down from his film production company, Ardent Productions, in 2002 to begin full-time duties as a working member of the royal family.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which recognizes young people for completing a series of self-improvement exercises, has been a focus of his life and work.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
Sophie married Edward in 1999 and became a full-time working royal in 2002. Much of her work focuses on equality for women and eliminating avoidable blindness.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Richard is the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin. His parents were Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.
Formerly an architect, Richard ended his architectural career in 1972 after his older brother, Prince William, died in a flying competition. He became Duke of Gloucester upon his father’s death in 1974.
According to the official website of the royal family, Richard is still involved with several organizations that reflect his architectural interests and is President of the Scottish Society of the Architect-Artists.
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Birgitte married Richard in 1972, six weeks before Richard’s brother William died. She is involved with more than 60 organizations including The Children’s Society, the Friends of St. Paul’s Cathedral and Hope for Youth Northern Ireland.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Another cousin of Elizabeth, Edward’s parents were Prince George and Princess Marina. He has been a working member of the royal family since he retired from the British Army in 1976.
Edward has been President of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since 1969 and is passionate about commemorating veterans’ contributions.
Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy
Alexandra is the Duke of Kent’s sister and therefore also a cousin of Elizabeth. She trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street in 1957 and her interest in medicine is reflected in her work. She is the joint president of Cancer Research UK alongside the Duke of Gloucester, who is her cousin.
