Why Prince William's Royal Cousins Don't Have Official Duties
- - Why Prince William's Royal Cousins Don't Have Official Duties
Meredith KileJanuary 27, 2026 at 6:30 AM
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(L to R) Prince William, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, James, Earl of Wessex, Lady Louis Windsor, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry
Chris Jackson/Getty
Prince William is the only one of Queen Elizabeth's eight grandchildren to currently hold a public-facing role as a working royal
The Prince of Wales' cousins have jobs while still supporting philanthropic causes
As the future king and queen, William and wife Kate Middleton have begun taking on even more roles in recent years
Prince William's position as the heir to the British throne has always meant that he is destined for high-profile duties as a working royal. However, many of his cousins don't have the same expectations.
All four children of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip — King Charles, Princess Anne, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Edward — took on royal duties during their adult lives, but most of the late Queen's grandchildren have kept largely private lives.
It's a change from previous generations. Many of Queen Elizabeth's first cousins — including the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and the Duke of Kent — still hold positions as working members of the royal family. However, it's uncertain if Prince William's cousins will do the same, as King Charles has reportedly envisioned a slimmed-down monarchy from previous generations.
Find out more about the lives of Prince William's cousins below.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at The Anti Slavery Collective's inaugural Winter Gala on Nov. 29, 2023
Dave Benett/Getty
While not working members of the royal family, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, once had perhaps the highest public profile behind cousins Prince William and Prince Harry. The sisters are the closest to William and Harry in the line of succession to the throne, currently with Beatrice in the ninth spot, followed by her two daughters, and Eugenie in the twelfth spot, followed by her two sons.
While Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie both hold private careers — Beatrice in private equity and Eugenie as the director of an art gallery — they use their royal status to support charities and make public appearances at family events.
Despite not being a working royal, Beatrice still serves in an important position within the monarchy. In 2022, she was appointed as a Counsellor of State to her uncle King Charles, which means she could execute constitutional duties if the King is abroad or unwell.
In October, King Charles announced that he was stripping Andrew of his royal titles and residence, a conclusion of years of scandal due to his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Instead of being known as Prince Andrew and his Duke of York title, he will be known now simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The news of Andrew's royal exit came with the understanding that Beatrice and Eugenie would retain their royal titles, in accordance with King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917. As they are daughters of a son of a sovereign, they both remain princesses and will continue to have the styling of Her Royal Highness. However, both have kept a relatively low profile following their parents' recent scandal, apart from a surprise appearance at Christmas with the royal family.
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Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips Antony Jones/Getty
The firstborn royal grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall were kept out of the royal spotlight from the very beginning of their lives.
Princess Anne, 75, welcomed Peter, 48, and Zara, 44, during her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, which ended in divorce in 1992. Peter and Zara were not entitled to royal status by birth as children of a monarch's daughter; however, Queen Elizabeth extended a courtesy title to Anne’s children, which her daughter declined in the hope of providing Peter and Zara with a more normal childhood.
"I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles," Princess Anne told Vanity Fair in 2020. "So I think that was probably the right thing to do."
As adults, both have expressed appreciation for her mother's decision.
“From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn't give us any titles. I really commend her on that,” Zara said during a 2023 podcast interview with her husband, Mike Tindall. “We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way.”
Zara went on to become a professional equestrian, winning a team silver medal in eventing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while Peter has worked in finance and sports management.
Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex
James, Earl of Wessex; Lady Louise Windsor
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage
The children of Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh — Louise, 21, and James, 17 — are years younger than their cousins and were largely kept out of the public eye during their childhood.
As they reach adulthood, it's believed that Louise and James will not be called upon for major royal duties, despite the fact that their parents have stepped into more visible roles as senior royals following the accession of King Charles and Edward's inheritance of his late father's title.
"I think Sophie — and Edward — have been careful to prepare their children for a life outside the working royal family," royal biographer Sean Smith told GB News in August 2025.
The author of a biography on Sophie, subtitled Saving the Royal Family, Smith said he's "confident that there will not be any pressure on Louise and James" to take on major royal duties.
Lady Louise is currently in her final year at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she studies English. Like some of her cousins, she has also taken part in military training and holds the rank of Officer Cadet in the Army Reserve.
Another royal connection is her love of horses and carriage driving. She inherited Prince Philip's driving ponies and carriage upon his death in 2021, and she recently competed at the National Carriage Driving Championships, where she was cheered on by her rumored boyfriend, Felix da Silva-Clamp.
“[She] is the only young woman of her age in the royal family, and I am sure she will be a great success at whatever she decides to do,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, James inherited his father's former title of Earl of Wessex, having previously been styled James, Viscount Severn. He currently attends the all-boys boarding school Radley College in Oxfordshire.
Louise has taken part in more recent public royal events like Trooping the Colour. The more private James is often photographed with the royal family at holiday services.
Prince Harry
Prince Harry
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty
Prince Harry, 41, took on royal duties and patronages in his adult life, and Meghan Markle, 44, also became a working royal after their 2018 wedding.
In a surprise move, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in January 2020 that they planned to "step back as senior members of the Royal Family." At the time, Harry and Meghan said they hoped to split their time between the U.K. and North America and "continue their duties in support of the late Queen as privately funded members of The Royal Family."
However, Queen Elizabeth's view was that members of the royal family can't be "half in, half out" — representing the monarchy and the U.K. while also pursuing personal financial goals. A year after their initial announcement, it was confirmed that Harry and Meghan would not be returning to their royal roles and would no longer keep their patronages.
Harry and Meghan relocated to her home state of California in 2020, where they are raising their two children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also continued to support causes close to their heart through their nonprofit, Archewell Philanthropies, and kept some of the causes from their royal life, such as Harry's Invictus Games. Additionally, they've pursued creative and storytelling ventures in a partnership with Netflix.
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