Camilla Parker Bowles Revealed the ‘Nicest Thing’ She and Prince Charles Do When They Travel Is Free
TL; DR:
- Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles frequently travel as part of their roles as senior royals.
- Camilla Parker Bowles revealed in a 2022 British Vogue interview the “nicest thing” about “going away” is when they read their respective books in the same room.
- “You just sit and be together,” Camilla Parker Bowles said.
Royal travel is expensive but unwinding like British royals doesn’t have to cost big bucks. In fact, Camilla Parker Bowles opened up about life with Prince Charles, saying the “nicest thing” they do on trips is sit and read.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles travel often as part of their royal duties
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall spend their days representing the monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II. That means attending engagements, both near and far, on behalf of the queen.
Sometimes their schedules keep them local allowing Charles and Camilla to return to their London residence, Clarence House. Other times they embark on royal tours and official visits abroad.
As first in the line of succession, Charles has ranked high on the list of the hardest-working royals. In 2019, he attended 521 functions.
Today, with the queen’s mobility issues, his schedule seems to be more jam-packed than ever. He, as well as Camilla and other royals, have stepped up as the queen’s delegates. Most notably, Charles gave a speech traditionally delivered by the queen at the opening of Parliament in May 2022.
Camilla Parker Bowles said she and Prince Charles read books ‘in different corners of the same room’
Camilla may not like traveling with Charles (she’s said to have a fear of flying on airplanes) but it’s not an entirely unpleasant experience. As she prepared to turn 75 (Camilla’s birthday is July 17) she shared what she and Charles like to do when they travel.
Kate Middleton and Prince William de-stress by ordering takeout. But when it comes to Charles and Camilla, the royal couple prefers to read. “You know when we go away, the nicest thing is that we actually sit and read our books in different corners of the same room,” Camilla said in British Vogue’s July 2022 issue.
The Duchess of Cornwall went on, calling it a nice way to unwind. “It’s very relaxing because you know you don’t have to make conversation,” she explained. You just sit and be together.”
Princess Diana didn’t like that Prince Charles brought books on their honeymoon
Prior to marrying Camilla in 2005, Charles had a rocky marriage to Princess Diana. The two became husband and wife in 1981’s “wedding of the century.” After separating in 1992 their highly-publicized split became official when they divorced in 1996.
Long before their split, when they were newlyweds, Charles and Diana embarked on their honeymoon. They spent 14 days on the Royal Yacht Britannia before rounding out the trip with a stay at Balmoral Castle.
While Camilla said she and Charles enjoy reading in the same room together, newlywed Diana didn’t take kindly to the idea. She went into a fit of rage about her husband’s books.
As royal biographer Penny Junor wrote in her book, The Duchess: The Untold Story, she’d been offended Charles “should prefer to bury his head in a book rather than sit and talk to her.”
