Buckingham Palace really went overboard with the forced tributes to King Charles and Queen Camilla for their 20th wedding anniversary. They can’t say “oh, but theirs was a grand love affair, they weathered so many storms” without the inevitable reminder that Charles used a young Diana as a broodmare for his heirs and then he and his mistress set out to destroy Diana completely. There’s a reason why Prince Harry’s “Camilla left bodies in the street” quote gets so much play. Sky News’ headline was “How King Charles and his ‘darling’ Queen Camilla have navigated their 50-year love affair as they mark 20th wedding anniversary.” Lorraine King called it “side-chick math,” which is hilariously accurate. Anyway, I appreciated People Magazine’s reminder that Charles and Camilla’s grand love story involves separate homes, separate bedrooms, and Charles’s visible annoyance with the woman Diana referred to as The Rottweiler.
King Charles and Queen Camilla seem to be smitten with one another as they ring in their 20th wedding anniversary, and their secret might be their sleeping arrangements. King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, are celebrating 20 years of marriage on April 9 during their four-day tour of Italy, and one commentator speculated that a certain setup at home keeps them close.
“They have known each other since [they were] very young and are great friends. There is no competitive edge between King Charles and Queen Camilla,” broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. “They have also sussed out the best sleeping arrangements. At Clarence House, they are privileged to have their own bedrooms as well as their shared bedroom.”
The King and Queen use Clarence House as their home base in London, though it’s hardly the only property in their royal portfolio. They are both known to cherish their private homes in the countryside and retreat there when schedules allow.
The future King Charles bought Highgrove House in Gloucestershire in 1980 through the Duchy of Cornwall and has put much love into its marvelous gardens. Visitors can explore the gardens through ticketed tours and the King recently headed to Highgrove after being hospitalized for an adverse reaction to his routine treatment for cancer. (“The most minor bump in the road that’s very much heading in the right direction,” a royal source said at the time.)
Meanwhile, the future Queen Camilla purchased Ray Mill House in Wiltshire in 1996 following her divorce from her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, the year prior. Ray Mill House is just 15 minutes from Highgrove and Camilla lived there full-time until 2003, when she moved in with Charles. The Sun reported that the house has a swimming pool, stables and a river, and it’s where Camilla uses as a gathering place for her children and grandchildren.
In the conversation with Fox News, Chard said the separate spaces help keep the couple’s bond strong.
“They are both independent people. They don’t live in each other’s pockets, spending a healthy chunk of their time apart in their country homes,” she said. “Camilla enjoys time with her many friends and family and Charles values private work and creative time.”
Here’s the thing: I’ve always totally understood why separate bedrooms make sense for certain couples, and I personally like having my own space and privacy as well. But Charles and Camilla’s “love story” post-Diana has always been whitewashed too. They always make it sound like “well, obviously, Charles ended up married to the love of his life and they have this incredible bond.” But the reality is a lot further from that. Camilla went for it because she wanted to be queen, not because she has some deep, abiding love for Charles. Charles likes Camilla because she’s a mother/nanny figure, but he also needs significant time away from her. But sure, it’s a grand love story.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.
