{"id":41830,"date":"2025-04-22T19:04:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T19:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/41830\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T19:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T19:04:09","slug":"heres-why-king-charles-queen-camilla-have-separate-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/41830\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s Why King Charles & Queen Camilla Have Separate Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.K.\u2019s top royal couple recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary during an official trip to Italy and seem more loved-up than ever. How could they not? After a romance spanning five-plus decades and marriages to other people, these star-crossed lovers finally found their happily ever after<\/a>. But the secret to their marriage may not be what you expect. Aside from the communication, trust and respect that marks all good marriages, there\u2019s a surprising component that just may keep Charles and Camilla coming back to each other: living in separate homes, at least part of the time!<\/p>\n

While this may seem counterintuitive to wedded bliss, a former household employee of the pair says that this less-is-more approach works well for them. Read on to find out how this unusual arrangement started, how much time they spend apart and where they each retreat when they want some alone time.<\/p>\n

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Why do Charles and Camilla have separate homes?<\/p>\n

First, because they owned these homes before they tied the knot\u2014and kept them afterward. And second, because they are both free spirits. While Charles and Camilla\u2019s official residence is Clarence House in London, just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, they each regularly spend time at their separate homes<\/a> too. \u201cBefore Charles and Camilla got married, they agreed Camilla would keep her home,\u201d revealed Jack Stooks, a former senior gardener at King Charles\u2019s Highgrove House for more than two decades, in an interview with Metro. \u201cThe separate space was important for them both and their families. \u2026 They\u2019re both independent people and don\u2019t mind time apart.\u201d<\/p>\n

While this arrangement might sound strange for a married couple, it seems to make perfect sense in the royals\u2019 case. \u201cCamilla enjoys time with her many friends and family, and Charles values private work and creative time,\u201d British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News. \u201cSpending time apart allows them both to follow their individual lifestyles\u2014and enjoy their time together before and afterwards even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where do they each prefer to spend their time?<\/p>\n

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King Charles spends his spare time at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, about two hours west of London, while Camilla regularly makes her way to Ray Mill House in Wiltshire, a 15-minute drive away. Charles bought his eight-bedroom Georgian mansion in 1980, a year before marrying Diana<\/a>, and is especially fond of the gardens, which he personally takes care of. In a BBC interview in 2016, he described gardening as \u201cthe most therapeutic business\u201d and revealed that plants always \u201chad a profound effect on me.\u201d Charles reportedly even talks to his trees and flowers\u2014or, as he phrased it, \u201cinstructs them.\u201d Visitors can check out the king\u2019s gardening skills from April to October, when Highgrove (minus the private residence building) is open to visitors. Besides taking care of his plants, Charles is also in charge of Highgrove\u2019s farm.<\/p>\n

Camilla<\/a>, on the other hand, bought her six-bedroom countryside home after divorcing her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, in 1995 and values it as an \u201cescape from royal life.\u201d As one of her friends told the Telegraph, \u201cRay Mill is the only place where she can literally and metaphorically kick off her shoes and spend time with family and friends in a really informal setting.\u201d Stooks adds that the house holds \u201cmany memories of raising her family\u201d and is a place for her to have \u201ca laid-back weekend without prying eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new queen\u00a0reportedly spends at least a full week a year at Ray Mill and tries to escape there most weekends. To make sure she can continue to do so without having to worry about neighbors and the press, King Charles recently forked over $3.9 million to buy the house next door.<\/p>\n

How much time do they spend apart?<\/p>\n

While only the pair themselves know for sure, it seems that Charles and Camilla usually spend Monday through Friday together at Clarence House, in London, before going their separate ways most weekends. That is, unless they are entertaining guests or traveling for fun or work. They also work together at multiple official engagements every month, ranging from visiting community initiatives to meeting business leaders and politicians or simply cutting ribbons, even though they\u2019ve cut down on their workload since Charles\u2019s cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n

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The bottom line: Though they might spend part of their lives separately and even have their own dogs<\/a>, they continue to be out and about together. Recent multiday royal state visits took the pair to Italy (April 2025), Australia and Samoa (October 2024), and Normandy (June 2024).<\/p>\n

Do they also have separate bedrooms in their shared homes?<\/p>\n

According to Chard, they do have separate bedrooms at their main London residence, where they\u2019ve lived since 2002. \u201cThey have sussed out the best sleeping arrangements,\u201d she has said. \u201cAt Clarence House, they are privileged to have their own bedrooms as well as their shared bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is this unusual for royals?<\/p>\n

Not at all. In fact, Charles and Camilla are in great company. Qu<\/a>een Elizabeth and Prince Philip<\/a> apparently spent their whole marriage (73 years!) sleeping in separate bedrooms. According to Philip\u2019s cousin Lady Pamela, it\u2019s completely normal in the British upper class to have separate bedrooms. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be bothered with snoring or someone flinging a leg around,\u201d she was quoted as saying in Sally Bedell Smith\u2019s book Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch. \u201cThen, when you are feeling cozy, you share your room sometimes. It is lovely to be able to choose.\u201d King Charles and Princess Diana reportedly also slept in separate beds when they were married.<\/p>\n

That being said, it seems the younger royals have abandoned this tradition. According to media reports, the future king and queen, Prince William and Princess Catherine, do have a joint bedroom in their primary residence, Adelaide Cottage.<\/p>\n

Why trust us<\/p>\n

Reader\u2019s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone\u2019s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth\u2019s daily snack to Prince William\u2019s confessions about his home life. We\u2019re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers\u2019 personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team<\/a>, our contributors and our editorial policies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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