The last time all 11 senior working royals were in a formal photograph together was three years ago, on the occasion of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation.
They reunited at Buckingham Palace today on the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth, hosting a reception that welcomed representatives from a selection of Queen Elizabeth’s many patronages and a select group of centenarians who are celebrating their 100th birthdays today. While the attendance of King Charles and Queen Camilla was confirmed in advance, it was a surprise that Princess Alexandra, 89, and the Duke of Kent, 90, were among the royals in attendance. The siblings, first cousins of the late Queen Elizabeth, have significantly scaled back on their public appearances in recent years.
Senior working royals, as T&C’s Caroline Hallemann explained in 2020 when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back, “has always been something of a nebulous descriptor, and one that has not been officially defined by the British royal family. It is typically used to refer to those adult relatives of the British monarch who are high up in the line of succession, and their spouses. They are full-time working members of the royal family, perform regular duties…and are highly visible representatives of the monarchy both in the UK and abroad.”
Here, a guide to the 11 senior working royals, from left to right:
- Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester: Prince Richard’s wife (wearing red)
- Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester: Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin (standing, in an orange tie)
- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent: Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin (seated, holding a cane)
- Catherine, Princess of Wales: Prince William’s wife (wearing a lilac Emilia Wickstead dress and pearl jewelry)
- Prince William: King Charles’s son and heir
- King Charles: the British monarch
- Queen Camilla: King Charles’s wife (in a black dress and a pearl choker necklace)
- Princess Anne: King Charles’s sister
- Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh: King Charles’s brother
- Princess Alexandra: Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin (seated, in blue)
- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh: Prince Edward’s wife (wearing a patterned Gabriela Hearst dress)
Notably not included in this photograph is Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Timothy Laurence; he is not technically a senior working royal. He was, however, in the coronation portrait. Laurence did not appear to be in attendance today for the reception. In addition, Lady Sarah Chatto, Princess Margaret’s only daughter, attended the British Museum event with many senior royals this morning, but was not at the Palace reception. She is also not a senior working royal.
