King Charles III is more than just the country’s monarch to his younger siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
Charles is the firstborn of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Shortly after welcoming Charles in November 1948, the couple expanded their family with Anne in August 1950.
Following the death of her father, George VI, in 1952, Elizabeth ascended to the throne at age 25. During her reign, she welcomed sons Andrew and Edward in February 1960 and March 1964, respectively.
While the foursome vary in age, they share a strong bond. Following Elizabeth’s death in November 2022, the siblings honored their late mother during her historic vigil. When the time came for Charles’ coronation in May 2023, his sister and brothers were in attendance for the monumental occasion.
Keep scrolling to see Charles’ relationship with each of his siblings:
Princess Anne
Anne and Charles seemingly have the strongest bond out of all their siblings since they are close in age. The brother-sister duo were toddlers when they moved into Buckingham Palace, following their mother’s coronation.
As the heir-apparent and spare, Charles and Anne’s childhood seemingly prepared them for their roles in the royal family. However, the pair also share a love for gardening and sports. In their younger years, Charles and Anne would enjoy riding horses together. They have attended polo matches together over the years.
Charles and Anne’s closeness was put on public display as they led their late mother’s procession with Andrew and Edward following close behind.
Following the loss of Elizabeth, Anne was by Charles’ side as he took the throne. In his coronation, the Princess Royal took on the prestigious “Gold-Stick-in-Waiting” role, which is historically given to someone entrusted with the safety of the Monarch. She also acted as the personal aide-de-camp to Charles and traveled on horseback behind him and wife Queen Camilla.
In Charles’ reign, he named both Anne and Edward as counselors of state, which means they can perform constitutional duties on behalf of their brother. After Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, Anne, who is one of the busiest members of the royal family, carried on with her royal duties and filled in for her brother whenever needed.
Prince Andrew
Andrew and Charles may have a 12-year age difference, but that never stopped the brothers from being close. Over the years, they have regularly appeared at public engagements together.
When Charles wed Princess Diana in 1981, both Andrew and Edward served as best men at the royal wedding. Years later, Charles also played matchmaker for Andrew by introducing him to Sarah Ferguson, whom he was married to from 1986 to 1996. The brothers would often go on double dates with their then-spouses.
Despite being close in their youth, Andrew and Charles have had a rocky relationship in recent years. When news broke of Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2020, he stepped down as a working member of the royal family.
Andrew was later sued for sexual assault but ultimately settled the lawsuit. However, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles by his mother in January 2022. (Charles has never publicly spoken out about the alleged allegations against his younger brother.)
While Andrew and Charles took some distance following Andrew’s scandals, the twosome were reunited in September 2022 for their mother’s funeral. Andrew joined his siblings as they walked behind their mother’s coffin.
Andrew also attended Charles’ coronation in May 2023.
Prince Edward
Despite their 16-year age gap, Andrew and Edward were seemingly close growing up. As a teenager, Charles spent a lot of time with Edward and would play games with his youngest brother. Edward would also attend Charles’ various polo games and would cheer on his big brother from the sidelines.
In 1999, Edward wed Duchess Sophie, whom Charles has been close to over the years.
However, Edward and Charles reportedly hit a rough patch over Edward’s production company, Ardent Productions. While Charles’ eldest son Prince William was studying at university in 2001, one of Ardent’s film crew allegedly tried to film the young royal. In 2002, Edward stepped down from the company to focus on his duties as a member of the royal family. Ardent Productions was dissolved in June 2009.
Charles and Edward bonded in 2022 over the loss of their mother. Both of the brothers traveled with their wives to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be by the queen’s side when she died. However, only Charles and Camilla made it in time to say goodbye. Edward and Sophie arrived in Scotland shortly after Elizabeth’s death.
When Charles assumed the throne he bestowed the title Duke of Edinburgh to his youngest brother.
