Meghan Didn’t Choose Harry and William’s “Secret” Stepsister as a Bridesmaid — but She Was at the Wedding

Let's be real: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding guest list was the talk of the town for months leading up to the event. And looking back on the highly publicized nuptials, one special person attended. And that's Laura Lopes, Harry and Prince William's lesser-known stepsister — or "secret" stepsister, as some are saying.

Laura is the daughter of Camilla Parker Bowles, the 70-year-old who was Prince Charles' mistress (amid his marriage to Princess Diana), then his girlfriend (after he divorced Diana), and now the Duchess of Cornwall (after they married in 2005). With her first husband, British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles, Camilla welcomed two children: son Tom, now 43, and Laura, now 40.

Tom, Camilla, and Laura.

After studying art history and marketing at Oxford Brookes University, Laura worked odd jobs in the 2000s — interning at a Venice art museum, writing automotive articles for a British magazine, and managing one London gallery before co-founding another. Then, in 2006, she married Harry Lopes, an accountant who used to work as a Calvin Klein underwear model. (To paraphrase Queen Victoria, we are very amused!)

Meanwhile, after working at British magazine Tatler alongside his sister, Tom Parker Bowles stuck with journalism and has become one of the best-known food critics in the United Kingdom. He and his fashion editor wife, Sara Buys, tied the knot in 2005 and welcomed a daughter in 2007 and a son in 2005. Laura and Harry have also started a family, welcoming daughter Eliza Lopes in 2008 and twins Gus Lopes and Louis Lopes in 2009. Eliza even served as a bridesmaid at the 2011 wedding of William and Kate Middleton.

Laura and her brother haven't avoided the spotlight, but outlets such as The Sun, Marie Claire UK, and Yahoo! Style UK have all called her William and Harry's "secret" sibling. All that could change, however, if she becomes close with Meghan and even Kate. Metro.co.uk had speculated that Meghan would pick her as a bridesmaid, even though she ended up not. At the very least, Laura was able to vouch for marrying a fella named Harry!

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