Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Camilla, has established himself as a prominent British food writer and critic over the past 25 years.
On September 24th, he launched his eighth book, Cooking and the Crown, which delves into his connections with the Royal Family.
In this latest work, he commends the collaboration and partnership between King Charles and Queen Camilla, highlighting their strong bond and teamwork in their marriage.
Parker Bowles described the King as: “The kindest, most knowledgeable, lovely man. He is someone you can ask about food and it’s like asking an academic.”
He continued: “He’s trodden every corner of his kingdom; he knows farming – he’s a farming hero.
“It wouldn’t have happened without the Palace and the King.
“I knew that I was putting my head into the jaws of a lion, but if I can’t do it now, after a quarter of a century of writing about food, when can I do it?
“But, of course, it will be seen in some circles as nepotism,”
Parker Bowles said the King and Queen are “very well suited. They work well together, and we’re happy that our mother’s happy.”
King Charles is the first British monarch to have had a civil divorce and civil marriage after marrying Queen Camilla in 2005.
Queen Camilla was previously married to Andrew Parker Bowles and had two children.
They married on July 4, 1973, in London and divorced 22 years later in 1995.
Parker Bowles recalls the years before the King and Queen married: “Especially in the bad days, the mid-Nineties – the aggression of the paparazzi, the screaming, the shouting, and she didn’t have a network to protect her. I remember high-speed chases down the M4 that were incredibly dangerous.
“She has always been – and this is not just PR – such a good mother.”
Since 2002, the Church of England has allowed the remarriage of divorced people in certain circumstances, allowing the King to remarry.
Parker Bowles described his childhood as: “A lovely, happy English upbringing.
“I come from a very laid-back family, we all gather around the table. We all love food. We all love drink.
“Although occasionally, when I’m doing a speech and she’s there, I’ll forget and call her ‘Your Highness’.”
