When it comes to the royal brothers – Prince William and Prince Harry – we're pretty used to thinking of them as a twosome, but did you know they also have a step-sister, Laura, who likes to keep things pretty low-key?
Yep, Laura is the only daughter of Camilla Parker Bowles (also known as Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and the future Queen Consort), who is married to William and Harry's father, Prince Charles. Meaning that they're related by proxy! Camilla also has a son, Tom Parker Bowles, a food writer and critic, so it's not just Laura added into the mix but a step-brother, too.
Laura, who is no longer a Parker Bowles but a Lopes, since marrying her husband Harry Lopes, who works as a chartered accountant. As for her own profession, Laura has made a name for herself in the art world (something that she has in common with Princess Eugenie, who is a long-standing staffer at Hauser & Wirth art gallery in London).
It's reported that Laura started her career off by interning at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice for three months, before taking a turn as a motoring correspondent for posh folks mag, Tatler. She then went on to manage The Space Gallery in Belgravia (a v swanky part of London) in the mid-00s and co-founded the Eleven gallery in 2005.
As for family life, Laura and here husband Harry welcomed their first child – a daughter named Eliza – in January 2008, and later added to their brood with fraternal twins, Gus and Louis, in late 2009.
Suggesting that her and William share a strong bond, when Prince William married Kate Middleton back in April 2011, little Eliza took a star turn as a bridesmaid (and looked darn cute in the process):
Everyone's clicking on...
Laura and her husband also attended Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle a few years on, and although she isn't regularly spotted out and about with the princes, she does make a public appearance with her mum, Camilla, from time to time. See them hanging together here, along with Tom PB, at a Fortnum & Mason event in 2018:
And lastly, just to round everything off, please do enjoy a family snap of both princes, Charles, Camilla, Laura and Tom. Lovely stuff:
So, there we have it - Prince William and Prince Harry's not-so-secret sister!
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
