About two months ago, there was a flurry of activity around the Parker Bowles clan. We learned that Queen Consort Camilla planned to make the coronation all about her family, with her two adult children Tom and Laura in attendance, plus their children acting as pages with actual roles in the ceremony. That was when the Times decided to declare Tom Parker Bowles “the monarchy’s new secret weapon.” Tom is a 48 year old “food writer” and a well-connected gossip, and it felt like he was suddenly being groomed for an earldom or something. Well, we’ll see about that. In the meantime, Tom is free to give interviews. In fact, I’m almost positive that Buckingham Palace wants him out there, trying to put lipstick on a pig (his mother). Especially since Tom made a pointed “rebuttal” of Prince Harry’s comments about Camilla, namely that she’s been running a decades-long campaign to win acceptance, marry Charles and sit on the throne, and (according to Harry) Camilla didn’t care if she left bodies in the street to get what she wanted. According to Tom, his mother did no such thing. ORLY?

The Queen’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, has rebutted the Duke of Sussex’s claim that she orchestrated “a campaign aimed at marriage and eventually the crown”, insisting there was no “endgame”. Mr Parker Bowles issued a staunch defence of his mother, who he said had married the King solely for love.

Speaking publicly about the allegations for the first time, he said: “I think change happens but I don’t care what anyone says – this wasn’t any sort of endgame. She married the person she loved and this is what happened.”

Mr Parker Bowles, a food writer and food critic, also told The News Agents podcast that his mother would ensure that her Coronation day menu was free of chilli and garlic because she did not like “massive spice” and would want to keep her breath fresh while greeting guests.

Mr Parker Bowles told podcast hosts Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel it was “tough” for the Queen to take on such a prominent role during the Coronation Ceremony, but said she had “never complained”. He added: “I think anyone would be anxious on an occasion of this sort of importance in terms of the historical. And yes, I think I’d be terrified if I had to sort of walk out wearing ancient robes. She’s 75, but you know, it’s tough to do it. But she’s never complained. You just do it. get on with it.”

Mr Parker Bowles praised the King and Queen, saying: “I think they’re doing amazingly. I think King Charles is a good, kind, intelligent man who cares deeply about his roles wherever they may be – Prince of Wales, the King.”

Asked if it was weird to think of Camilla as the Queen, Mr Parker Bowles replied: “Not really, because she’s still our mother. I say ‘our’ but not the royal ‘we’, speaking for my sister and me. She’s our mother.”

Mr Parker Bowles confirmed that he would not be getting a title, adding: “You’re not going to find us with great estates and being called the duke of whatever. No. That would be appalling.”

[From The Telegraph]

“I don’t care what anyone says – this wasn’t any sort of endgame…” Horsesh-t. Camilla absolutely plotted, schemed and calculated. Maybe in 1991, it wasn’t a clear strategy of “then I’ll do this and then I’ll hire this person,” but there absolutely was a strategy, a plan, a conspiracy. Camilla openly carried on with Charles for years, all while briefing the press about Diana and the state of the Waleses’ marriage. Camilla and Charles both masterminded the “Diana is crazy” narrative. Once Charles and Diana got divorced, Camilla seamlessly moved in and took over. She’s been in charge ever since, let’s be real. Painting Camilla’s journey as some kind of “she never schemed, she never planned this” is utterly bizarre. Tom’s comments do show that Camilla and her team are very worried that people believe Harry’s version of events.

As for Tom denying the talk of a peerage… well, we’ll see about that too. For all of the cost-cutting plans being made by Charles, I would be willing to bet that Charles and Camilla both plan on elevating Tom and Laura and ensuring that they have the means to live large.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.