Everything you need to know about lesser-known members of the royal family attending St. Paul’s church service

Veteran BBC commentator David Dimbleby remarked that they looked like ordinary members of the public.

Cousins, nieces, great-nephews and grandchildren-in-law: the extended royal family headed to St. Paul’s Cathedral for the Thanksgiving service today.

They arrived by more plebeian transport than by the horse-drawn carriages of the previous day—buses, albeit with blacked-out windows. But as they stepped out of their vehicle, the sea of ​​padded headbands and fascinators gave them away.

Of course, Her Majesty knows them all, but could the rest of us name many from the clan?

Lady Sarah Chatto caught a rare glimpse of the limelight. The Queen’s distinguished niece, daughter of the late Princess Margaret, is said to be a favorite of our monarch as she reminds her of her beloved sister. Lady Sarah, 58, met her now 65-year-old husband Daniel during their gap year in India.

She worked as a wardrobe assistant on the film Heat and Dust. Today both are artists.

Their Instagram-able, Eton-educated sons were with them.

Personal trainer and model Arthur, 23, in military uniform, has joined the Royal Marines while Samuel, 25, with limp hair, is an artist and potter.

Lady Sarah’s brother and Margaret’s son, furniture maker David Linley, Earl of Snowdon, 60, was at the service with his son Charles Armstrong-Jones, 22.

In 2012, Charles was made the Queen’s First Page of Honor and wore her train on state occasions. In 2018 he left the company to study product design at Loughborough University.

The Queen’s Cousins, an ever-growing support since the loss of Prince Philip, were in power.

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, 86, was there in blue with his wife Katharine Worsley, 89. He is the son of Prince George, younger brother of King George VI, the Queen’s father. Prince Edward supported Her Majesty on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

His father died in World War II when he was just seven years old.

At the age of 18, Prince Edward enrolled at Sandhurst and graduated as a second lieutenant. His titles include President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

His younger brother, Prince Michael of Kent, 79, was in St Paul’s with his wife, Princess Michael, 77. Prince Michael had a long military career in Germany, Hong Kong and Cyprus and now owns a consulting company.

Their daughter, Lady Gabriella Kingston, 41, was by her side with her husband, financier Thomas Kingston, 43, who was striking in hat-to-shoe peach and had reportedly dated Pippa Middleton.

As a freelance writer, Lady Gabriella tried her hand at singer-songwriting in 2020.

She released her first single to raise funds for the Playing for Change Foundation, a global non-profit music and arts education organization of which she serves on the board. Her brother, financial analyst Lord Frederick Windsor, 43, attended the service with his wife Sophie Winkleman, 41, resplendent in fuchsia.

TV star Claudia’s sister, Sophie is an actress best known for her peep show character, Big Suze. Her daughter Maud was a bridesmaid to Princess Eugenie.

Eugenie herself was there and appeared to have a small tattoo behind her ear. She was with her older sister Beatrice.

The Queen’s first cousin Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, 77, and the Duchess of Gloucester, 75, wearing the turquoise hat, attended the celebration. He has a degree in architecture and was formerly a partner in a London architectural firm.

But in the early 1970s, his older brother Prince William died in a flying accident, and he inherited his duchy and took on more royal duties.

He married Birgitte van Deurs from Denmark after they met at university.

He now occasionally represents the Queen at events.

Their lookalike daughters, Lady Davina and Lady Rose, have not followed conventional royal paths.

Lady Davina, 44, married Gary Lewis, the Maori son of a master shearer, although they split in 2019.

They lived in a working-class area of ​​Auckland. They have two children, Senna Kowhai and Tane Mahuta, named after a giant Kauri tree in New Zealand’s Waipoua Forest.

Lady Rose, 42, married to George Gilman, son of a real estate developer, has pursued a career in film and was an artistic assistant on Harry Potter films.

The mixture of ancient history, pageantry and fairy tales in today’s service may inspire you.