Who are the children of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Edinburgh?
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, had four children with her husband Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, passed away at Balmoral this evening, aged 96. She had four children during her marriage to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, the eldest of whom, Charles, succeeds her as heir apparent to the throne. The Queen met Philip at a royal wedding when she was eight years old and her future spouse, 13. The teenage Prince of Greece and Denmark was a guest at the wedding of his cousin Princess Marina to Prince George, the Duke of Kent at Westminster Abbey on 29 November 1934. The two would have been introduced at the reception, held at Buckingham Palace.
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They crossed paths again five years later in July 1939 during a royal visit to Dartmouth Royal Naval College, where 18-year-old Philip was training as a cadet. The attraction was mutual and Elizabeth and Philip began corresponding by letter. Their romance continued to blossom after Philip joined the Royal Navy and was called up for military service at the start of World War II, spending the first few months of 1940 as a midshipman on HMS Ramillies, HMS Kent and HMS Shropshire before seeing active service on the HMS Valiant in Alexandria from January 1941. He was stationed in the Pacific on board HMS Whelp and witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. On his return, he asked King George VI for permission to propose to Elizabeth. His marriage proposal was accepted and their engagement was formally announced on 9 July 1947 although Philip had to first renounce his Greek and Danish royal titles and become a British subject. The couple were married at Westminster Abbey on 20 November that same year.
Their first child, Charles Philip Arthur George, was born at Buckingham Palace almost exactly a year later, on 14 November 1948. Elizabeth and Philip parented three more children over the next 16 years.
The royal children
Charles
His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh came into the world on the evening of 14 November 1948. He was delivered by Caesarean section at 9:14 p.m. in the Buhl Room at Buckingham Palace. As the eldest son and heir, he will be proclaimed King and his second wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to become queen consort. Charles graduated from Cambridge University with a BA Hons in archaeology and anthropology in June 1970 - the first British heir to the crown to gain a university degree. He served with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force between 1971 and 1976, setting up the Prince’s Trust Fund with his severance pay of £7,400 to fund a number of community initiatives. He is responsible for over 20 charities and has a keen interest in a variety of subjects including conservation and sustainability, architecture, global warming and social issues. As the heir, he immediately succeeded Elizabeth and will be formally proclaimed King at St James’s Palace in London within the next 24 hours.
Anne
Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born at Clarence House, the Queen’s residence in London on 15 August 1950. She is the only daughter of the former Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The Princess Royal is now second in line to the throne following the death of her mother. She had a keen interest in equestrianism and represented Great Britain in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Like her elder brother Charles, Anne is involved in various charities - she has been patron of Save the Children UK since 1970 as well as setting up personal initiatives including The Princess Royal’s Trust for Carers, Transaid and Riders for Health.
Andrew
Andrew Albert Christian Edward was born at Buckingham Palace on 19 February 1960. Like his elder brother, Andrew, The Duke of York, served in the armed forces, joining the Royal Navy following his graduation from the Britannia Royal Naval College. He received his pilot’s wings in 1981 and served in the Falklands war the following year. However, he was later stripped of his royal and military titles and removed from public duties following allegation of his involvement in a sexual abuse case due to his association to American financier Jeffery Epstein.
Edward
Edward Antony Richard Louis is the youngest of the siblings. He was born at Buckingham Palace on 10 March 1964. Edward studied history at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating in 1986. During his studies he developed an interest in theatre. He married Sophie Rhys-Jones on 19 June 1999, they have two children - Louise and James. The Earl and Countess of Wessex established their foundation The Wessex Youth Trust in 1999 with the aim of helping and supporting registered charities which provide opportunities specifically for children and young people.