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6 British royals who work real jobs

6 British royals who work real jobs
Prince Harry now has a real job.Peter Nicholls-WPA Pool/Getty Images
  • Prince Harry announced he is now the chief impact officer at BetterUp, a Silicon Valley startup.
  • Like Harry, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also have jobs in the real world.
  • Queen Elizabeth's oldest grandchild, Peter Philips, owns his own sports management company.

This week Prince Harry announced he started working for a startup in Silicon Valley.

This week Prince Harry announced he started working for a startup in Silicon Valley.
Prince Harry.      Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

After taking a step back from senior royal duties with his wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry announced he is now the chief impact officer at BetterUp, a startup that focuses on mental-health services.

In the role, Prince Harry focuses on "product strategy decisions and charitable contributions, and advocate publicly on topics related to mental health," according to The Washington Post. It was also reported that he asked his co-workers to not address him by his royal title.

"I intend to help create impact in people's lives," he told The Washington Post. "Proactive coaching provides endless possibilities for personal development, increased awareness, and an all-around better life."

Harry also picked up a part-time job in early 2021. He will join the Aspen Institute's Commission on Information Disorder for six months to help study the spread of misinformation in the US. In a statement, it was said Harry will have to attend regular meetings for his role on the commission.

Prince Harry's cousin Princess Beatrice works in business and finance.

Prince Harry
Princess Beatrice.      Paul Hackett/Reuters

Princess Beatrice has a degree in history from Goldsmiths at the University of London. After school, she began working at Sandbridge, a venture capital firm, as an associate. More recently, the royal became the vice president of partnerships and strategy at Afiniti, a software company.

"Beatrice is responsible for the management of the strategic Afiniti partnerships as well as company growth through unique initiatives and client development," her bio on Afiniti's website reads.

Princess Beatrice's younger sister, Princess Eugenie, helps run an art gallery in London.

Princess Beatrice
Princess Eugenie.      STEVE PARSONS/AFP via Getty Images

Princess Eugenie earned her art history and English degree from Newcastle University before entering the art world. She first worked for an online auction company called Paddle8 and is now a director at Hauser and Wirth, an art gallery in London.

She told Harper's Bazaar in 2106 that her daily duties are "planning special projects, supporting the artists in the gallery, and managing events."

"I've loved art since I was very little. I knew I definitely wouldn't be a painter, but I knew this was the industry for me," Princess Eugenie told the publication. "I love being able to share my passion for art with people. If someone doesn't understand something, you have the ability to suggest, 'Maybe you can look at it this way.' That's what I find most thrilling about working in a gallery."

Peter Philips, Queen Elizabeth's grandchild, works in sports management.

Peter Philips, Queen Elizabeth
Peter Philips.      Chris Jackson / Getty

Son to Princess Anne, Peter Philips was not given a title when he was born despite being the Queen's oldest grandson. He has worked in various positions in a few industries. First, he worked at Jaguar Racing and Williams Racing as an account manager. He then spent seven years working at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

In 2012, Philips founded Sports & Entertainment UK Ltd, which is a sports management company in London.

"Peter continues to lead the agency from strength to strength with SEL UK building their portfolio of events and clients across a wide range of platforms with every passing year," the company's website reads.

Queen Elizabeth's nephew, David Armstrong-Jones, is a furniture maker.

Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth with Viscount Linley.      Kirstin Sinclair / Getty

As son to Princess Margret, Armstrong-Jones became the Earl of Snowdon in 2017 after his father died. But Viscount Linley continues to work outside of his royal title. He is a furniture maker and started his own business in 1982, calling it David Linley. Elton John and Valentino have bought some of his designs.

"What I've tried to engender in the Linley design team is to always be curious," he told Vanity Fair in 2017. "We're endlessly trying new materials, getting new people to come in, finding people who are doing different things—let's get a traditional person to make something in a very avant-garde way. Which is quite fun."

Sophie, Lady Frederick Windsor married into the British royal family in 2009 and continues acting in Hollywood.

Sophie, Lady Frederick Windsor married into the British royal family in 2009 and continues acting in Hollywood.
Sophie Winkleman.      Mark Cuthbert / Getty

In 2009, Sophie Winkleman married Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin Prince Michael, and became Sophie, Lady Frederick Windsor. However, she decided to not officially take the Windsor name so she could continue acting.

She landed the role of Zoey on the ninth and 10th season of "Two and a Half Men" without ever revealing she was a royal.

"People in my business in America didn't know anything about it, because they'd just see 'Sophie Winkleman' on the sheet and I'd go and do the audition and then get the job or not," Winkleman told Insider's Mikhaila Friel. "And they didn't find anything out about me. They just knew me from my acting, which was quite important to me."

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