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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton & Nia Dalton

Camilla's little-known family - tragic loss, royal spotlight and special pastime

As the Duchess of Cornwall steps into her new role as Queen Consort alongside her husband King Charles III, many people will be wondering what the new royal family will look like. Following their marriage in 2005, Camilla became stepmother to Prince William and Prince Harry, and took on a entirely different life in the public eye.

Charles also became stepfather to Camilla's two children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, from her previous relationship with ex-husband of 21 years, Andrew Parker Bowles. While Laura and Tom live happily outside of the royal spotlight, the siblings are very close with the family and can be regularly spotted at big events.

Follow the latest updates as the world mourns Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III begins his reign on our live blog .

The two families came together when Charles and Camilla wed in 2005 (Getty Images)

They made their first public appearance when they sat for official photos at Charles and Camilla's royal wedding, and have since remained widely under the radar.

Though Tom and Laura were spotted attending Cheltenham Races with their mother and also attended the Order of the Garter service in June, to see Camilla given the honour.

Camilla's son

Tom is a food writer and author with two children (Getty Images)

Camilla's oldest child is Tom Parker Bowles, who was born in London in December 1974, making him 47 years old.

Interestingly, one of his godfathers is Prince Charles - who later became his stepdad.

Tom is a well-known food writer and often appears on cookery shows. He has authored several books and published in magazines, including Conde Nast Traveller, GQ and Esquire.

In September 2005, months after his mother's wedding to Charles, Tom wed long-term girlfriend Sara Buys during a ceremony in Oxford.

Camilla and Charles have five grandchildren on her side of the family (Getty Images)

The couple had two children, 14-year-old daughter Lola and 12-year-old son Frederick, but split in 2018.

Later, Tom found love with journalist Alice Procope, who was a mum-of-three. However, tragically last year, she died at the age of 42 after a battle with cancer.

Tom, who was with Ms Procope for almost two years, is said to have been left devastated by the death.

A friend of his told the Daily Mail at the time: "Tom had been blissfully happy with Alice and is devastated that life can be so cruel."

Camilla's daughter

Laura has a passion for art and is a mother of three children (Getty Images)

Camilla's lesser known child, Laura, was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 1978 and is currently 44 years old.

She was educated at a Catholic girls boarding school in Dorset, and then studied History of Art and Marketing at Oxford Brookes University.

Before settling down, Laura worked as Tatler's motoring correspondent then moved into the art world.

She first managed The Space Gallery in London and co-founded London's Eleven Gallery in 2005, where she was also a director.

Laura married chartered accountant Harry Lopes in Wiltshire in 2006. He went to Eton College and spent some time underwear modelling for Calvin Klein.

Camilla's eldest granddaughter Eliza was a bridesmaid for Kate Middleton (UK Press via Getty Images)

On their wedding day, Laura wore an Anna Valentine dress – the same designer worn by her mother when she married Prince Charles in 2005.

Both William and Harry were guests at her wedding and she attended both of their nuptials.

In fact, her daughter Eliza was a bridesmaid for the Duchess of Cambridge at stepbrother William's wedding in 2011 when she was just four.

Laura and Harry are also parents to twins Gus and Louis, born in 2009.

Although Laura is not a royal, she could be in line to inherit two stately homes, as her husband Harry, the son of baron, is set to take over Gnaton Hall in Devon, as well as the Skelpick estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Camilla's grandchildren

Camilla revealed she loves to read her grandchildren books before bed (Getty Images)

Camilla has five grandchildren on her side of the family - Lola, 14, and Freddy Parker-Bowles, 12, Eliza Lopes, 13, and twins Gus and Louis, aged 12.

The Queen Consort recently revealed how she loves to spend her pastime with them - reading books before bedtime.

The 75-year-old says she likes to sit down with her grandchildren and read them the bestseller Gangster Granny, which charts the story of a granny who plots to steal the Queen's Crown Jewels from The Tower of London.

You can now buy Friday's historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative

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