Inside Queen Camilla and King Charles’ Diets, According to Her Cookbook Author Son Tom Parker Bowles

Tom Parker Bowles shares some information about the diets of his mother Queen Camilla and stepfather King Charles.

Tom, 49, who is the son of Camille and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, wrote the piece for The Daily Mail about the various culinary demands made by the latest monarchs ahead of the release of his book, Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III.

According to Tom, Camilla, 77, and Charles, 75, eat “simple, healthy and decidedly seasonal food.” He added that their meals are overseen by royal chef Mark Flanagan, who travels with them to their various properties.

As for the king specifically, Tom described him as a “true food hero” who “practices what he preaches” — especially when it comes to food sustainability.

He said the royal pantry was often full of “seasonal goods from the royal estates”, including “venison, beef and lamb”, plus fruit and vegetables such as “peas, strawberries, raspberries and swiss chard”.

“There is no waste on [King Charles’] table,” said Tom.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall enjoy afternoon tea on the terrace next to a life-size statue of the famous playwright.

Tim P. Whitby – WPA collection/Getty

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The cookbook author also noted that his stepfather “doesn’t eat lunch at all” and often skips a meal in favor of a “relaxed” afternoon tea – an age-old tradition among British nobility and something he said the monarch takes seriously.

Afternoon tea, Tom said, is traditionally served at 5pm, and a typical meal that might include “macaroons, scones, wafers, biscuits, petit fours, pralines, Chelsea buns and shortbread, along with bridge rolls, scones, poached eggs on toast, shrimp in pots and sandwiches” filled with “chicken, smoked salmon, ham and mustard”.

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As for his mother, Let’s Eat: Recipes from my kitchen notebook the author shared that she “eats a very light lunch” often in the form of “a bowl of chicken soup” or “a bit of smoked salmon.”

The two royals also often opt for a “relaxed” dinner “away from official pomp and circumstance” later in the day, he added.

Tom noted, however, that official banquets are anything but relaxed, as guests are often served three-course meals at long tables set up in St. George’s Hall in Windsor or the Ballroom in Buckingham Palace.

He said the menus were “still written in French” and were being sent to the King and Queen for approval before the event.

King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Chris Jackson/Getty

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“This is no mere meal, but a brilliantly choreographed ballet, ‘souffle’ diplomacy at its finest, as kings and queens, princes, rulers and presidents sit down to enjoy the eternal power of the common table,” explained Tom.

In his book, Tom also explores the food and culinary preferences of previous monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and how chefs at various residences at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral prepared meals for them.

Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III will be published on September 24.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education