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King Charles and his godchildren© Getty

Who are King Charles's 33 godchildren?

Princess Olympia of Greece, Peter Phillips, and the Duke of Westminster are among them 

Millie Jackson
Content Managing Editor
June 16, 2024
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King Charles has no shortage of responsibilities. He's the reigning monarch, the head of the Commonwealth, and the Defender of the Faith. He's also a father, husband, uncle, and godfather – to an astonishing 33 people. 

So who exactly are the King's beloved godchildren?  

Read on to find out...

The King's 33 godchildren

Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Princess Tatania at their wedding in 2010© Getty

Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark

The Greek royal is the third child of the late King Constantine II of Greece, who was a close personal friend of King Charles. 

Previously called the 'Playboy Prince', he was married to Princess Tatiana for 14 years before the couple announced their shock split in April 2024.

The ties between the British and Greek royals don't end there, as the late King Constantine II was also godfather to Prince William. The heir to the British throne had to miss the memorial service because of his wife Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Lord Nicholas Windsor attends the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel on May 18, 2019 in Windsor, England© Getty

Lord Nicholas Windsor

The youngest son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katharine, Duchess of Kent, prefers to stay out of the spotlight. 

He attended Harrow and then pursued a degree in theology from the University of Oxford 

He is best remembered as a young pageboy at the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981.

Nicholas's father, the Duke of Kent, has always been close to the royal family and particularly the late Queen, stepping in when required at official events, which might explain why Prince Charles became his son's godfather.

Rupert Henson, Lady Edwina Grosvenor, Edward Van Cutsem, Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster and Lady Tamara Grosvenor depart after attending the wedding of The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral© Getty

Edward van Cutsem

The late Hugh van Cutsem Sr. was best friends with King Charles while they were at Cambridge, so it follows that he asked the royal to be godfather to his eldest child, Edward, when he was born in 1973.

Edward (pictured in the middle) is married to Lady Tamara Grosvenor, the oldest sister of Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster.

 

Giles Donald 

The son of King Charles' prep school friend, Giles, also voiced a character in the monarch's children's story The Legend Of Lochnagar. Harry Potter actor the late Robbie Coltrane voiced the show's title character. 

Louisa Mills 

The daughter of King Charles' friend from his days in the Royal Navy, Rear Admiral John Lippiett, Louisa works at Metro Bank.

Lord Mountbatten and his grandsons Nicholas Knatchbull, Ashley Hicks and Timothy Knatchbull in1978.© David Ashdown

Timothy and Nicholas Knatchbull

A tragic story surrounds these godchildren, as Timothy survived an IRA bombing in 1979, but his 14-year-old twin brother Nicholas did not, and neither did the Queen's cousin, Lord Mountbatten.

Timothy read Social and Political Science at Cambridge and went on to become a filmmaker for the BBC and has five children.

Angus Ogilvy with his daughter Marina, on her wedding day in St. Andrews.© Getty

Marina Ogilvy

Marina is the daughter of the late Queen's cousin, Princess Alexandra, which means her great-grandfather was King George V. She became pregnant aged 23 before being married, and was reportedly sent a gift from King Charles inscribed: "From your disappointed godfather." 

She married her then-boyfriend Paul Mowatt shortly before the birth of her daughter Zenouska. The couple also had a son, Christian, before they divorced.

While relations were tense for a while, Marina reconciled with her family and reportedly now lives on the Windsor estate. She is a pianist and recently attended the service of thanksgiving for King Constantine of Greece alongside her mother Princess Alexandra. 

The duo discuss artwork on the King's official visit to Yorkshire in 2022© WPA Pool

Fiona Compton

Fiona's father is Sir John Compton, the former Prime Minister of St Lucia. Another Navy connection, King Charles met Sir John while undergoing his military service. Fiona, 43, is an artist, historian, and ambassador for the Notting Hill Carnival.

Her godfather came to view her artwork as part of the Worlds Reimagined project, and she spoke to the King about slavery. She said: "He is ready to have active conversations about Britain's relationship with the slave trade. He agrees this is British history, and it should not be hidden."

Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece attended the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla© Getty

Prince Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and Denmark

The head of the former Greek royal family, Crown Prince Pavlos, 57, was heir apparent to the throne until the abolition of the Greek monarchy in 1973.

James, Marquess of Hamilton

The second cousin of Princess Diana and the heir to the 5th Duke of Abercorn, James works on the family estate of Baronscourt Castle in Northern Ireland.

James Laing 

James's mother Sibilla Laing went to Cambridge with Charles before marrying the former High Commissioner to Brunei, diplomat Stuart Laing. He lived in the Middle East, Africa, and England before working as a diocesan secretary of Llandaff in 2019.

Alexander Windsor walking with Claire Booth© Pool

Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster

The 49-year old aristocrat is the only son of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, meaning he is the great-grandson of George V. 

Alexander studied at Eton then took War Studies at King's College London before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was commissioned into King's Royal Hussars. 

In 2022 he married Claire Booth, a pediatric doctor, in the Queen's Chapel of St. James's Palace. The couple have two children: Xan Richard Anders Windsor, Lord Culloden, 17 and Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor, 14.

Princess Olympia in silver dress with silver jewels© Getty

Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark

This stylish royal is the eldest child of Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. She has a degree from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study in Fashion Business and Marketing and interned at Christian Dior's Paris haute couture atelier. 

She told HELLO! Fashion during a 2021 cover shoot: "I used to love watching my mother getting ready and also my grandmother on my mum's side. I was obsessed with clothing and trying on their things – there are so many pictures of me as a little girl wearing my mother's high heels."

Most of Britain's royal family attended her parents' wedding, including the late Queen.

tom parker bowles and mother queen camilla© Getty Images

Tom Parker Bowles

The 49-year-old son of Queen Camilla is the author of no less than seven cookbooks and is a food writer and critic.

A six-year-old Catherine at her godfather's wedding© Getty

Catherine Cameron

The 36-year-old daughter of Donald Cameron of Lochiel, 27th Chief of Clan Cameron, and Lady Cecil Kerr, Catherine's mother, was a friend of King Charles. Catherine was chosen, aged six, to be a bridesmaid at the wedding of Princess Diana and the then-Prince Charles. 

She is the least well known of Princess Diana's bridesmaids and was known as the crying bridesmaid, until India Hicks, who was also a bridesmaid, revealed that she was "miserably blowing her little nose on her petticoats" because she was severely allergic to horses.

She attended St. Mary’s Ascot and Edinburgh University, and now works as a literary agent. She has two children, Alice, 15, and Alexander, 13, with her husband, Henry Trotter.

Sophie Tollemache and Edward Tollemache, godson to King Charles, accompany the King and Queen as they attend the New Year's Eve Mattins service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 31, 2023© Getty

The Honorable Edward Tollemache

Edward is an aristocrat and banker. 

His son served as a page of honour at the coronation of King Charles III alongside Prince George.

Charles Tryon, 4th Baron Tryon 

A second son of a couple who were close friends with King Charles. The then-Prince of Wales was reportedly staying with Charles's parents Anthony and Dale Tryon in a fishing lodge in Iceland when he heard the news about the assassination of Lord Mountbatten. 

Both Dale and the King enjoyed fly-fishing.

peter phillips and prince william laughing © Getty Images

Peter Phillips

Perhaps the most well-known among King Charles' godchildren, Peter Phillips is the eldest son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. 

He is Zara Tindall's older brother and shares two children, Savannah and Isla, with his former wife, Autumn Kelly.

While not a working royal, Peter is frequently spotted at events and in royal company.

Rose Troughton 

The daughter of the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and Colman's mustard heir Sarah Troughton, Rose's mother has worked closely with the royal family. She was lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Kent for ten years and is a second cousin to King Charles. Sarah was one of six women appointed Queen's companions to Queen Camilla in 2022.

Rose is married to solicitor Peter Barclay and they share three children: Beatrice, Nicholas and Aurelia. Nicholas was a page of honour at the coronation.

Both Lucrezia and David come from large family businesses© Bertrand Rindoff Petroff

David Wildenstein

David is the son of an international art dealer and belongs to the Wildenstein art dynasty. He married jeweller Lucrezia Buccellati in 2013 and together they share two children.

David's father Guy played polo with the then-Prince Charles. "My father had a very close relationship with him," David told Tatler. "When I was born, he asked Charles, 'Would you mind being David's godfather? It would mean a lot to me.'"

Nicholas Knatchbull, Lord Brabourne

Nicholas, 43, is now a music producer and gardener. He is married to behavioural therapist Ambre Pouzet and they share a son, Alexander, who was born in 2022.

He is named after Nicholas who was killed in an IRA bombing alongside his great-grandfather the 1st Earl Mountbatten, Prince Philip's uncle, in August 1979.

Nicholas's mother, Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, was a great friend of the late Prince Phillip and they frequently went carriage driving together.

India Hicks attends the Penelope Chilvers X India Hicks Pink Sands collection launch in support of the Change a Girl's Life campaign with Prince's Trust© Getty

India Hicks

India, 56, is a designer and former model and the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten. She was a memorable figure at the wedding of Charles and Diana as one of five bridesmaids for the occasion. 

She married her long-term partner, David Flint Wood, of 25 years after he first asked to marry her, in an intimate and romantic ceremony in Oxfordshire attended by the couple's five children during the pandemic. 

India lives in the Bahamas and wrote to tell her godfather of her first pregnancy. King Charles wrote back: "Wonderful news. Amazing what the sun and the sand can do for you."

In an interview with the Daily Mail, India spoke about her relationship with her godfather: "I mean, he is very busy but I always have that lovely feeling that he is there. He's remarkably good. He has that magical ability to make everyone feel special.

"I think I must have by now outgrown the godfather/goddaughter role. There must be a stage at which you stop being a godparent, and you stop needing a godparent. By 53, you'd think, I don't need guidance, or that moral compass, but possibly I do!"

Harry Cobb and Eliza Cobb attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel on October 12, 2018© Getty

Eliza Ferguson

Eliza is the half-sister of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Her father, Ronald Ferguson, worked as polo manager to the Prince of Wales for 30 years and sadly died in 2003 due to a heart attack.

Eliza married tuition director Harry Cobb, and welcomed a baby in 2020. Elba Pear Rosemary, was born on Sarah's 61st birthday!


Alice Lindsay 

A personal tragedy for King Charles was the death of his close friend and former equerry to the late Queen, Major Hugh Lindsay. The then-Prince was on a skiing holiday when disaster struck and an avalanche occured on 10 March 1988. He was airlifted to safety, but Major Lindsay was not so fortunate. 

Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, return to England with the coffin of their friend Major Hugh Lindsay at RAF Northolt © Georges De Keerle
Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, return to England with the coffin of their friend Major Hugh Lindsay at RAF Northolt

King Charles accompanied Major Lindsay's coffin back to the UK, where he was met with a guard of honour from his regiment. His funeral took place on 17 March 1988 at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, with the late Queen, Charles, Diana, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in attendance.

Alice's father with the late Queen© Getty
Alice's father with the late Queen

In 2020, it was revealed that Major Lindsay's widow had written to The Crown, asking them not to portray her husband's death, for personal reasons and to protect her daughter.

Sarah Lindsay was seven months pregnant with Alice and just 34 years old when her husband died. In a 2008 Telegraph interview, Sarah revealed Princess Diana's support in the months and years after: "The Princess was fantastic. She used to ring me every Sunday evening. She was a dear friend - someone I could ring at midnight and say: 'Life is pretty grim.' The Princess of Wales instinctively knew when I might be feeling down - the school holidays and so on. She always had nice ideas about how to cheer me up."

For Alice's first birthday, Princess Diana and young Princes William and Harry surprised Sarah and the baby with a cake at Kensington Palace.

She wed lawyer James Poyner in 2019 and told the Daily Mail she planned to "light a candle" for her father who she never met.

Front row at Milan Fashion Week© WWD

Maharaja Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur

 A fellow royal, Padmanabh's great-grandfather was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state in British Raj. When he was just 12 years old, Padmanabh was unofficially crowned the Maharaja of Jaipur and the head of Jaipur's royal family.

A keen polo player, the Maharaja is a member of the esteemed Guards Polo Club in Windsor. Alongside the Indian National Team he visited Hurlingham Park in 2017, the first Indian team to compete there in over 70 years. 

His grandfather had previously led the last successful Indian polo tour of the UK and befriended the then-Prince Charles in 1975. Padmanabh shares his godfather's appreciation for the sport, and has even played alongside Prince William and Prince Harry.

Not only a keen sportsman, Padmanabh is a fashion enthusiast too and has walked runways as well as curating a strong sense of personal style. He also studied liberal arts at New York University and history of arts at the University of Museology and Arts in Rome. His family is reportedly worth an incredible £2 billion.

Galen is related to the current Duke of Westminster© LinkedIn

Galen Crawley

Galen is a 34-year-old start-up advisor and property investor based in Nairobi, Kenya. 

This particular involvement with King Charles is a tragic one. Galen's father, art dealer Randall Crawley, was killed in a plane crash alongside his brother near Turin in Italy, aged just 38 in September 1988. 

Galen's mother, Marita, is a songwriter and author related to the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. She is also the elder sister of Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster.

Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster and Olivia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster depart after their wedding ceremony© Samir Hussein

Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster

The man of the moment and formerly Britain's most eligible bachelor, Hugh Grosvenor is a close friend of Prince William and Prince Harry, being godfather to both Princes George and Archie. 

Hugh recently married Olivia Henson, an account manager, in a society wedding attended by Prince William, acting as the role of usher, and Princess Eugenie.

Jessie Street

Jessie is a legal officer at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, Australia. 

She is the daughter of Sir Laurence Street, and named after Sir Laurence's mother, Jessie, who was an Australian diplomat, suffragette, and campaigner for Indigenous Australian rights who could trace her ancestors back to King Alfred of England.

She regularly attends fashion weeks to keep up to date with the latest trends© Getty

Angelica Hicks

Angelica, 31, is an illustrator who boasts over half a million followers on Instagram. She posts viral videos copying celebrity outfits, and also works as an illustrator. 

As the great-granddaughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, she is in the line of succession.

Lord Frederick Wellesley 

The youngest son of the 9th Duke of Wellington and Princess Antonia of Prussia, Lord Frederick is a graduate of both Eton College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He is a direct descendent of the 1st Duke of Wellington who beat Napoleon at Waterloo.

Frederick's aunt Lady Jane Wellesy dated Prince Charles in the 70s. © Getty
Frederick's aunt Lady Jane Wellesy dated Prince Charles in the 70s.

He is married to a fellow army officer and bomb disposal expert who served in Iraq. The announcement in The Telegraph read: "The engagement is announced between Captain Frederick Wellesley, The Blues and Royals, younger son of the Duke and Duchess of Wellington, and Captain Katherine Lambert, Royal Engineers, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs Nicholas Lambert". The couple were married just over a year later in July 2022.

Samuel Chatto in a black suit and white shirt© Max Mumby/Indigo

Samuel Chatto

The grandchild of Princess Margaret, Samuel, 27, is an artist specialising in ceramics. He shares photographs of his work on Instagram.

Bella Soames

She is Head of Branded Podcasts at Intelligence Squared who also happens to be the great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill. Isabella's father, the former Conservative MP Nicholas Soames, is a friend of Charles's from childhood.

Rowan Brudenell 

The youngest of King Charles's godchildren, Rowan is 23 and attended Durham University, where he studied Geography. He was also a cadet in the RAF and is the great-grandson of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

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