Former Royal Gardener Shares the "Very Considerate Arrangement" King Charles and Queen Camilla Made for Their Kids
"Why change what works for them?"
King Charles and Queen Camilla will celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary on April 9, and although their kids were adults at the time, it was still a big transition when the royal couple married in 2005. Prince William and Prince Harry gained a stepbrother and stepsister when Camilla married their father—and former royal gardener Jack Stooks has opened up about one "considerate" arrangement Charles and Camilla made for their respective children.
Queen Camilla shares son Tom Parker Bowles, 51, and daughter Laura Lopes, 47, with her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, and Stooks says that The Queen would've considered this when making one decision.
Camilla kept her Wiltshire home, Ray Mill House, after marrying Charles and still uses it as a private country retreat today. Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, the former royal gardener, who worked for the couple at Highgrove House, says: "It wasn’t a case of Camilla having to move into Highgrove and her children suddenly feeling as though they no longer had a home of their own to visit, especially as Highgrove is so closely associated with William and Harry."
Prince Charles and Princess Diana hold Prince Harry (left) and Prince William (right) at Highgrove House.
(From left): Prince Harry, Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Laura Lopes and Tom Parker Bowles pose for a wedding portrait on April 9, 2005.
Queen Camilla enjoys private time at her country estate, Ray Mill House.
Prince William and Prince Harry are not known to share a close relationship with Tom and Laura, and Stooks adds, "It feels like a very considerate arrangement for everyone, and they clearly seem happy. Why change what works for them?"
King Charles and Queen Camilla announced their engagement in February 2025, 35 years after they first met. "They came into their relationship later in life, and I think it’s quite nice that they were able to maintain their own separate homes," Stooks says. "It meant they could still feel they had a place that was truly theirs."
Reflecting on his former boss's sentimental side, Stooks says that Charles chose flowers from Highgrove House for his wedding day, while Camilla added a touch of Ray Mill House.
"At their wedding, they both chose flowers from each of their own gardens," he says. "I think that is incredibly romantic and meaningful."
