Tom Parker Bowles is getting candid about what it was like growing up with Queen Camilla as his mother. Having shared he thinks he’d “probably be dead” if his parents had given him a trust fund, the food writer revealed the motto his mom held on to whenever their family faced difficult situations or royal drama.
During his appearance on the “White Wine Question Time” podcast, The Queen’s son opened up about his mother’s motto (via GB News). According to Parker Bowles, Queen Camilla abides by the phrase, “You have to laugh.” He explained, “If you can’t laugh about certain things, that’s what’s kept her going, I think, a sense of humor.”
Parker Bowles continued, “You have to be able to laugh at things…And whenever things got bad, we just pulled back together like the Roman centurions moving into their tortoise formation with the shields around.” Sharing just how crucial family was during tough moments, the food critic explained, “It was important, that power of togetherness.”
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“It was important, that power of togetherness.”
(Image credit: Mathieu Polak/Sygma via Getty Images)
Parker Bowles also reflected on his mother’s role within the monarchy, saying, “My mother, as The Queen now, is doing a magnificent job, we’re all incredibly proud of her.”
He also suggested that Camilla never planned to become Queen. “It was just a story of two people who loved each other,” Parker Bowles shared.
“My mother, as The Queen now, is doing a magnificent job.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
During his podcast appearance, the food writer also discussed the fact that his family never gave him a trust fund. “You know, actually, it’s a good thing not having a trust fund,” he explained (via the Daily Mail). “I’d probably be dead if I’d had one.” Parker Bowles continued, “Obviously, I had to work like everyone. You know, you have to work. It’s important.”
Parker Bowles’s most recent book, Cooking & The Crown: Royal Recipes From Queen Victoria to King Charles III, was released in late 2024, and explores the Royal Family’s culinary habits.
Tom Parker Bowles
‘Cooking and the Crown: Royal Stories From Queen Victoria to King Charles III’