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See how the royals have dramatically changed over the past ten years

They look so different!


royal family ten year challenge
Ainhoa Barcelona
Content Managing Editor
Updated: January 15, 2019
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The Queen and her family have celebrated many milestones over the past ten years. Spectacular weddings, royal babies, significant anniversaries – they, and royal fans, have witnessed it all. See how the royals have changed over ten years, starting with...

The Duchess of Cambridge

Kate's life has changed dramatically in the past ten years. Back in the noughties, she was a royal girlfriend who worked as an accessory buyer at Jigsaw, following a stint working for the Middletons' family business, Party Pieces.

In November 2010, she and Prince William announced their engagement, followed by a spectacular royal wedding in April 2011. Kate, who became known as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge upon her marriage, gave birth to the couple's first child, Prince George, in July 2013, followed by their daughter Princess Charlotte in May 2015. Kate's third baby, Prince Louis, was born in April 2018.

The Duchess supports the royal family and the Queen in her role as patron of The Royal Foundation and charities for mental health, children, sports, the arts and more.  

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sarah ferguson ten years© Photo: Getty Images

Sarah, Duchess of York

What's her secret? Sarah has hardly aged a day in the past ten years. The Duchess is still a devoted mother-of-two, and now the proud mother-in-law to Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank. She still gets on remarkably well with her ex-husband Prince Andrew; the pair live together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Sarah has previously told HELLO! magazine: "A table goes best with four legs. A table can't stand on three legs, really, so you have the Duke and I, and the two girls. We're a family unit and we lead by example. We support each other emotionally, and we support each other health wise. At least every two weeks we sit down together and communicate, the four of us."

She added: "I think the one thing I've done incredibly well – although I say it myself – is that I'm a really good mum. And I think that my girls show that."

The Duchess, who is no longer technically a member of the Firm, is also a tireless campaigner and has inspired her daughters to do the same. Her charity work includes being the founder patron of Street Child charity, the founder of Children in Crisis, a global ambassador for Ronald McDonald House and supporting Elephant Family, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Chance for Childhood and Teenage Cancer Trust.

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The Duchess of Sussex

Having married Prince Harry in May 2018, Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, has effortlessly transformed into a senior member of The Firm. The couple are also now the proud parents to baby Archie, who was born in May 2019.

Ten years ago, the actress starred in shows including CSI: NY and General Hospital, but it was in 2011 that she got her big break playing Rachel Zane on Suits. The Los Angeles-born beauty starred in over 100 episodes of the American legal drama, but quit acting when she got engaged to Prince Harry.

Meghan wiped her slate clean, closing down her lifestyle website The Tig and ending her endorsement deals and charity partnerships. She now focuses on her royal duties as the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. In September, she stepped out for her first solo project with her mum Doria Ragland and Harry by her side, as she celebrated the cookbook, Together Our Community Cookbook, which featured recipes from women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

In January 2018, Meghan's first solo patronages were also announced: the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, animal rescue charity The Mayhew and female employment cause Smart Works.

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Prince William

The Duke of Cambridge is, arguably, one of the royals who has experienced the most change in the past ten years. In the past decade, William has been presented with his RAF wings, worked as a search and rescue pilot for the army, and become an air ambulance pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.

In his personal life, William settled down and married his long-term girlfriend Kate in 2011, and the couple have since welcomed three adorable children – Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, three, and baby Prince Louis. 

Now based at Kensington Palace, having moved from Anglesey to Norfolk and back to London, William takes on various royal duties on behalf of his grandmother, the Queen.

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Prince Harry

Ten years ago, Prince Harry was fully immersed in army life, going on tour in Afghanistan. Harry, who holds the rank of captain in the British Armed Forces, was deployed to the war zone at the start of 2008 and again in 2012.

He left the army in 2015 after ten years of service but continued to support his fellow servicemen and women by launching the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style tournament for wounded and injured personnel. Harry's Games have proved hugely successful and in 2017, at the Toronto event, he made his first appearance with his now wife Meghan Markle, who he married in May 2018. 

Following their royal wedding, Harry and Meghan delighted fans after revealing the happy news that they are expecting their first child together. Their baby boy Archie was born in May 2019.

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Princess Eugenie

About ten years ago, Princess Eugenie was on her gap year and preparing to study at the University of Newcastle. She had finished school at Marlborough College, the same boarding school attended by the Duchess of Cambridge. At university, she read art history, English literature and politics. It was there that Eugenie met her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, who she married in October 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor. 

In 2013, Eugenie moved to New York for one year to work as a benefit auctions manager at Paddle8. She moved back to London where she currently works for the Hauser & Wirth art gallery as an associate director.

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Princess Beatrice

Ten years ago, Princess Beatrice was in her first year of university at Goldsmith College in London. She studied History and History of Ideas, graduating in 2011 with a 2:1. 

Since her graduation, Beatrice has held a number of positions, including working for an IT firm in New York, and working as a patron of Forget Me Not Children's Hospice.

Beatrice became the first member of the royal family to complete the London Marathon in April 2010, and also the first to appear in a non-documentary film when she was an extra in The Young Victoria.

She is currently dating Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, having split from her long-term boyfriend of ten years, Dave Clark, in 2016.

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The Duchess of Cornwall

With her husband Prince Charles, Camilla works tirelessly to represent the royal family. Since her marriage to the Prince in 2005, the Duchess has undertaken hundreds of engagements in the UK and overseas, made official visits to more than 45 countries and has taken part in more than ten incoming state visits. She is also patron or president of more than 90 charities.

She celebrated her milestone 70th birthday in July 2017, by releasing a beautiful photo with her husband Charles, which was taken at Clarence House by Mario Testino.

sophie wessex

The Countess of Wessex

Ten years ago, the Countess of Wessex was running after her younger child, James, Viscount Severn, who was a toddler. She and Prince Edward also have a daughter, 15-year-old Lady Louise Windsor.

Sophie often joins her husband in carrying out official duties; the Earl and Countess visited troops in Afghanistan in 2011, and also visited the Caribbean in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee.

Sophie has a wide range of interests which include supporting people with disabilities, the prevention of blindness in developing countries, agriculture and fashion. She is patron of over 70 charities and organisations.

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Mike and Zara Tindall

Mike Tindall and Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips announced their engagement in December 2010, one month after Prince William and Kate. The couple married in July 2011, three months after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Zara gave birth to their daughter Mia in January 2014, and chose to share the first photos of their gorgeous girl with HELLO! magazine. In 2018, the happy couple revealed the birth of their second daughter, Lena Elizabeth. Little Mia had a starring role in October 2018 at Princess Eugenie's royal wedding, where she acted as a bridesmaid along with cousins Savannah and Isla Phillips, and Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

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Prince Philip

Millions around the world recognise the Prince as the steadfast consort who is always at his wife's side, at engagements, walkabouts and on royal tours. The Duke, 96, was patron, president or member of over 780 organisations but in May 2017, after 65 years of service, he retired from official duties.

Philip carried out his last engagement in August 2017, in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, and three months later, he and the Queen celebrated their remarkable 70th wedding anniversary. The Queen has previously said: "He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years."

the queen

The Queen

Over the past ten years, Her Majesty has celebrated a range of milestones. She marked 60 years on the throne in 2012 with her Diamond Jubilee and in 2015, she became the nation's longest reigning monarch; the record was previously held by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and 216 days until her death in 1901.

The Queen also celebrated her milestone 90th birthday in 2016, and in 2017, she and Prince Philip reached their platinum wedding anniversary, becoming the first British royal couple to mark 70 years of marriage.

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Prince Charles

Over the years, Prince Charles has stepped up for the Queen and gradually carried out more and more engagements on her behalf. In the past decade, Charles has visited India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and Malta as well as Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo among other countries.

Joined by his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, who he married in 2005, the future King works to protect and promote the country's traditions and virtues. Charles is a keen environmentalist and in 2017, he authored a Ladybird book on climate change. The royal also became a grandfather for the first time in 2013, when Prince George was born. In 2018, he became a granddad for the third time with the arrival of Prince Louis, while a fourth is due in 2019 after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their happy baby news in October 2018. 

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Autumn and Peter Phillips

More than ten years ago, the Queen's eldest grandchild Peter Phillips was announcing his engagement to Canadian-born Autumn. The couple went on to marry in May 2008 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Their first child, and the Queen's first great-grandchild, Savannah, was born in December 2010, followed by their second daughter Isla in March 2012. Their daughters played big roles in Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's royal wedding in October 2018 where they acted as bridesmaids along with their cousins Princess Charlotte and Prince George. Savannah in particular has showcased her cheeky side during public appearances, memorably putting her hand over George's mouth and pulling faces during Trooping the Colour. 

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