Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Camilla, has opened up about his childhood and his mother’s current life as the wife of King Charles. Tom, a renowned food writer and restaurant critic, also touched on one aspect he found challenging to understand as his mother transitioned into her royal role.
In an interview with The Times, 50-year-old Tom revealed that his mother is fond of travelling but primarily resides in the UK now. However, he still manages to spend quality time with her. He shared: "I tend to go up to Scotland with the kids during the summer holidays, staying with my mother and the King at the Birkhall estate in Aberdeenshire. It took me a long while to 'get' Scotland, but once you've got it, you're totally in love. I especially like a restaurant called Fish Shop in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, and the Fife Arms is great."
As a child, Tom often went skiing in Austria or France, but his mother "hated" it and would typically "send us up" the mountain while she stayed behind to read her book. The father-of-two recalled: "She'd come up in the ski lift to meet us for lunch and one time tried to make conversation with the guide, asking him, 'Aimez-vous les chevaux?' (Do you like horses?), to which he replied, 'Oui, avec les frites!' (Yes, with chips!)."
Tom opened up about his mother’s love for the great outdoors, noting she "loves walking" and hasn’t changed her habits as she’s got older. The Queen's son highlighted that while she relishes simplicity, stating "if you gave the Queen 'the sun and a book', she would be happy." He also touched upon the King's work ethic: "The King loves walking too, but he's the most hard-working man I've ever met. I don't think he's the sort of person who can just flop onto a deck chair and disappear into a book."
This comes as Queen Camilla and King Charles were seen commemorating their 20th wedding anniversary in Rome on Wednesday, April 10, 2025, blending their personal celebration with royal duties. Captured by photographers at the Italian Parliament, they marked the noteworthy occasion.
In conversation with journalists, Camilla, 77, expressed amazement at the passage of time, remarking: "Who could believe it was 20 years?" Upon being queried about the key to a successful marriage, she playfully responded: "I don't know, well, I suppose it's just sort of friendship, really." She further mused on marriage with royal flair, accentuating shared humour and resilience: "Laughing at the same things, getting on with life. I suppose doing this (gesturing to the engagement) takes up most of the time."
Tom appears on Saturday Kitchen Live on BBC One this morning (Saturday, April 12) at 9.30am. Guests include singers Billie Porter and Marisha Wallace.
