Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla and stepson of King Charles, has largely stayed out of the royal spotlight. He recently shared in an interview that he had only met Queen Elizabeth II twice in his life, with one of those encounters being quite memorable.
Growing up with his sister Laura Lopes outside of the palace life, Tom described his mother Camilla as a “good, basic cook.” Even after his mother married King Charles, Tom remained distant from the Royal Family. He once admitted that he had never attended a royal Christmas celebration.
During his first meeting with Queen Elizabeth at the age of eight, Tom was so scared that he curtsied instead of bowing. Years later, at his mother’s wedding in 2005, Tom had an unexpected encounter with The Queen. He and his sister had snuck out for a cigarette and ended up getting lost. The Queen found them and asked if they were okay, leaving Tom feeling both terrified and awestruck by her presence.
Tom recently released a royal-themed cookbook titled Cooking & The Crown, featuring recipes dating back to Queen Victoria’s era. Despite his royal connections, Tom made sure not to exploit them for personal gain. He mentioned that he had kept away from the royals for 25 years in his food writing career and wanted to ensure his cookbook was genuinely interesting.
While the cookbook includes some of his mother and stepfather’s favorite recipes, Tom was careful not to invade their privacy. He expressed that after Queen Elizabeth’s passing, the project felt more personal to him. It is likely that The Queen would have been pleased with the book and its contents.
Overall, Tom Parker Bowles has maintained a respectful distance from the royal family in his career as a food critic and cookbook author. His experiences with Queen Elizabeth and his unique perspective on royal recipes have contributed to his success in the culinary world.