This year sees Queen Camilla and King Charles celebrate 20 years of marriage, but despite their many decades of love, Camilla still stays slightly separate from the royal family.
Her Majesty’s distance was inadvertently revealed by royal photographer Chris Jackson, who was responsible for Queen Camilla’s birthday portraits this month.
Posted on Instagram, Chris captioned the charming photo of Queen Camilla and her dog, Moley: “Lovely to see this portrait I took of Queen Camilla with her new rescue dog ‘Moley’ at home in Ray Mill released today.”
He shared a second series of photos, reiterating the telling remark: “Pictured here happy and relaxed at home in Ray Mill, Wiltshire.”
© Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesCamilla posed in the grounds of her Wiltshire home
Chris’ repetition of Camilla’s home being Ray Mill leaves no doubt that while her official residence with King Charles is at Clarence House, and the pair frequently decamp to Highgrove House, King Charles’ Gloucestershire abode, Ray Mill is where she considers home.
Queen Camilla’s home away from the royals
The £850,000 residence was acquired by Camilla following her split from her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, in 1994. She lived there between 1996 and 2003 and has kept it as a country base ever since.
Ray Mill from above
The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald (the local paper for where Ray Mill is situated) reported: “Before Charles and Camilla got married, they agreed Camilla would keep her home… the separate space was important for them both and their families.
“For Camilla, her Wiltshire house had so many memories of raising her family. It’s somewhere she can retreat and escape royal life if she needs to. It’s somewhere she can go with her family and have a laid-back weekend without prying eyes.”
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HELLO!’s Homes Editor Rachel Avery echoed the sentiment, explaining: “The Queen appears to use this property as her special hideaway, separate from her life at the top of the royal family, serving as a place for quiet and calm. Her husband King Charles has his own sanctuary not so far away – Highgrove House.”
Queen Camilla’s choice
This year isn’t the first time Camilla has chosen to shoot her birthday portraits at Ray Mill. When she turned 75, the Princess of Wales photographed her mother-in-law in the location too – and with such beautiful surroundings, we understand why Her Majesty loves the property.
Queen Camilla’s 75th birthday portrait was taken at Ray Mill too
The sprawling house even has its own pool (just like Highgrove House!), which archive photos show Camilla lounging beside. We’re betting it’s come in handy with the heatwave these last few weeks.
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