Kate Middleton, Prince William and King Charles Pose for Rare Group Photo with Working Members of the Royal Family

Meredith KileTue, April 21, 2026 at 5:56 PM UTC

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The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Sophie, Duchess of EdinburghCredit: The Royal Family/Twitter -

The royal family celebrated Queen Elizabeth's centennial on April 21

To mark the occasion, the working members of the royal family posed together for a group portrait

Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles and more gathered for a similar photo after the monarch's coronation in 2023

As the royals celebrate the centennial of the late Queen Elizabeth, the working members of the British royal family gathered for a group photo, capturing a portrait of those who are carrying on the legacy of one of the world's most iconic monarchs.

The picture was taken during a reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, April 21, in honor of what would have been the late Queen's 100th birthday. In the center is King Charles, 77, the late Queen's eldest son and heir, with his wife and consort, Queen Camilla, 78.

Standing next to the King is his eldest son and heir, Prince William, and William's wife, Kate Middleton. Prince William is the only one of Queen Elizabeth's eight grandchildren who is a current working royal.

Two of King Charles' siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, are also in the image, along with Edward's wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

Notably missing is Queen Elizabeth's second-oldest son, the former Prince Andrew, who stepped back from his public role in 2019 and was stripped of his royal titles by the King last year due to the fallout over his involvement with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Kate Middleton at the Buckingham Palace reception on April 21, 2026Credit: Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty

The portrait also includes Prince Richard and his wife, Birgitte, who are known by their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Richard is Queen Elizabeth's first cousin and 32nd in the line of succession.

Seated in the portrait are siblings Prince Edward (who is known as the Duke of Kent) and Princess Alexandra, first cousins of Queen Elizabeth. (Their mother, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, was also a first cousin of the late Prince Philip, making them both second cousins and first cousins once removed with the King.)

The working royals last posed for a group photo after King Charles' coronation in May 2023 — with one difference. Princess Anne's husband, Sir Tim Laurence, appeared in the coronation snap but was not part of the group in the new image.

King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the British Museum on April 21, 2026Credit: Toby Melville / POOL / AFP via Getty

It's been reported that King Charles always intended to have a small number of working royals. The Evening Standard reported in 2023 that he wanted to reduce the number of members of the royal family dependent financially on the monarchy, including them paying for their own housing with subsidized rents, eradicated over time.

A source told the outlet, "The King is not some sort of housing association for distant relatives."

Princess Anne once commented on the idea during a 2023 interview with CBC chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault, who commented on Anne's busy schedule by saying, "I don't know how many more hours in a day you have to take more things on."

"Well, I think the slim down was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment," the Princess Royal replied, laughing.

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"The world changes a bit," said Arsenault.

"It changes a bit," Anne agreed, adding with a chuckle, "I mean, it doesn't sound like a good idea, from where I'm standing, I have to say. I'm not quite sure what else we can do."

Princess Anne opens the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent's Park on April 21, 2026Credit: John Phillips/Getty

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Prince William, 43, is the only one of the Queen's eight grandchildren to be a working royal after his younger brother, Prince Harry, stepped back from royal life with his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2020.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the children of Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, have royal titles and sometimes join the royals at family events but have regular jobs. They have kept a low profile in recent months amid their parents' scandals.

Princess Anne chose not to give her children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, royal titles from birth, hoping to provide them 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."

Edward and Sophie's children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, are years younger than their cousins and have largely been kept out of the public eye so far, though they do have titles.

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.

People Magazine Special: Queen Elizabeth IICredit: People; Rota/Anwar Hussein/Getty

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's birth with a special edition of PEOPLE featuring stories about her life and legacy, on sale now.

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