Queen Camilla's son Tom struggled to 'get' one aspect of new life with King Charles

Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, has opened up about his childhood and his mother's life as the wife of King Charles

Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, has recently shed light on his childhood memories and talked about his mother's life as the consort of King Charles.

Tom, an esteemed food critic and author, also spoke of the complexities he faced in grasping the changes as his mother embraced her role within the Royal Family.

Chatting with The Times, the 50-year-old gourmet conveyed that although his mother delights in travel, she now primarily settles in Britain. Nevertheless, he still enjoys cherished moments with her.

He divulged: "I tend to go up to Scotland with the kids during the summer holidays, staying with my mother and the King at the Birkhall estate in Aberdeenshire. It took me a long while to 'get' Scotland, but once you've got it, you're totally in love. I especially like a restaurant called Fish Shop in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, and the Fife Arms is great."

Reflecting on his youthful ski trips to Austria or France, Tom reminisced how his mother "hated" skiing and would rather send them off to the slopes while she immersed herself in a book. He remembers one amusing incident: "She'd come up in the ski lift to meet us for lunch and one time tried to make conversation with the guide, asking him, 'Aimez-vous les chevaux?' (Do you like horses?), to which he replied, 'Oui, avec les frites!' (Yes, with chips!)"

Furthermore, Tom opened up about his mother's deep affection for nature, highlighting that her passion for walking has persisted unabated with age.

The Queen's son pointed out her affinity for the simpler things in life, saying: "If you gave the Queen 'the sun and a book', she would be happy."

He then shed light on the King's approach to life: "The King loves walking too, but he's the most hard-working man I've ever met. I don't think he's the sort of person who can just flop onto a deck chair and disappear into a book."

These insights come as Queen Camilla and King Charles were spotted celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Rome on Wednesday (April 10), simultaneously balancing personal festivities with official commitments. Photographers snapped the couple during their visit to the Italian Parliament, commemorating this significant milestone.

Chatting with members of the press, Camilla, 77, was amazed by how quickly the years had gone by, commenting: "Who could believe it was 20 years?"

When asked about the secret to a lasting marriage, she jovially replied: "I don't know, well, I suppose it's just sort of friendship, really."

She reflected on conjugal life under the Royal spotlight, highlighting the importance of shared laughter and robustness: "Laughing at the same things, getting on with life. I suppose doing this (gesturing to the engagement) takes up most of the time."

Tune in to see Tom on Saturday Kitchen Live on BBC One today (Saturday, April 12) at 9.30am, featuring guests such as singers Billie Porter and Marisha Wallace.