Queen Camilla's son admits 'I'd probably be dead' in candid admission
Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker-Bowles, has made a candid admission about his finances, revealing that growing up without a trust fund probably "saved his life". The eldest child of the Queen spoke frankly on the White Wine Question Time podcast about his dedication to his work ethic, which he has been fostering since he was a teenager.
Tom admitted to podcast host Kate Thornton that if he had grown up with a trust fund and had not been driven to work, his life today would look very different, as he was forced to learn the value of hard work and financial literacy, and work "just like everyone else".
"Sadly, no trust fund. You know, actually, it's a good thing not having a trust fund. I'd probably be dead if I'd had one," Tom said. "Obviously, I had to work like everyone. You know, you have to work. It's important. So, I stumbled somewhat into food writing, 25 years ago when the landscape was rather different."
Before finding his passion for food writing, Tom worked numerous jobs while he found his career footing. He had a brief stint in the PR world, as he recalled: "I worked for a wonderful film PR company called DDA and they used to run Cannes and you'd be looking after talent.
"So you'd be taking Alicia Silverstone round London in the '90s or Anna Friel or whatever. So it wasn't exactly the most arduous task for a straight man. It wasn't the most arduous of jobs, but I was always late.
"I'm still friends with my bosses, Stacey and Dennis, and they're lovely people. But eventually, enough was enough. I got sacked… So anyway, I was sitting around thinking, you know, what the hell am I going to do?"
Tom then found his passion for food writing and published nine cookbooks, and is still a regular contributor to Mail on Sunday and Country Life.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Tom made a candid admission about his mother and how it was "never her aim" to be Queen, while also praising the relationship between Charles and Camilla.
He said: "As I've said before, you know, with my mother - it was never her aim. It was just a story of two people who loved each other. And as you get older, you're happy that your father's happy, that your mother's happy, that your stepfather is happy. You know, that's what matters."
Tom also said that "not in a million years' did he expect his mother to become Queen, but is 'proud' of her and all she has done for the monarchy.
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The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
King Charles' favourite royal tour paintings revealed as his private collection is put on display at Buckingham Palace
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Galapagos Isles, 2009 THE highlight of Charles and Camilla's tour to Chile, Brazil and Ecuador was a visit to the Galapagos Islands, home to the most incredible wildlife. A mix-up over boat times meant artist Richard Foster nearly missed the trip to uninhabited North Seymour Island, but thankfully the coastguard came to his aid. And he managed to paint the Prince and Duchess on this lump of Pacific lava rock home to the rare blue-footed booby bird and iguanas so tame they don't see humans as a threat. My favourite photograph on this tour is of the couple getting up close with the famous giant tortoises. One of the great joys of my life is seeing amazing places. Sadly, this visit was limited to three days in paradise. King Charles waves to royal fans as he leaves Buckingham Palace with Queen Camilla for Trooping the Colour 15 15 India and Nepal, 1993 THIS was the royal tour that Princess Diana hijacked with her historic solo photo at the Taj Mahal. Artist Martin Yeoman, who painted this picture of an arched entrance to the Red Fort at Agra, accidentally strayed outside the official tour. When he tried to rejoin the others, local security did not believe him until eventually a junior official vouched for him. Just before Diana posed for that picture at the Taj Mahal, I was the only photographer to go with her to the fort. She posed up, arms folded, looking absolutely stunning with the most beautiful smile. With a long lens, I was able to get the Taj Mahal in the background. I rate it in the top five best pictures I ever took of Diana. Uganda and Turkey, 2007 15 15 AFTER a couple of days in Uganda's capital Kampala for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, the royals travelled to the city of Jinja, on the banks of Lake Victoria, the source of the River Nile. While I was photographing the royal couple on a boat, Camilla took out her camera and snapped a picture of me. Later on the tour, I admired the work of artist Mungo McCosh, who painted this picture of Charles and Camilla crossing the Golden Horn in Istanbul. I had been trying to photograph the scene for half an hour without much success and I told Mungo: 'The pencil can do something the camera can't.' Today, nearly 20 years later, I still remember being entranced while photographing the mind-blowing whirling dervishes. Egypt, 2006 15 I HAD been to Egypt five times and was ill on each occasion. At one point, Diana's doctor had to treat me. So the last time, in 2022, I took no chances by carrying my own food and water. Back in 2006, we travelled to a desert oasis at Siwa, where artist Sarah Butterfield captured this scene of a local by the water. I got a wonderful photograph of the recently married couple. Walking uphill, Camilla linked arms with Charles and they were both wearing white hats. One newspaper called them Fred & Gladys – the nicknames they gave each other early in their relationship. Sri Lanka and India, 2013 15 15 CHARLES was going to be 65 on the day we flew to Sri Lanka from India. The Sun had created a special front page with the headline OAP – Old Aged Prince – complete with ads for free eye tests and discounts at Specsavers. I wanted to present it to him on the plane and, despite a lot of haggling, his press secretary was reluctant to allow it. Suddenly, lovely Camilla appeared, took me to the front of the flight and said: 'Darling, Arthur's got a present for you.' Charles laughed because his Sun front page was very funny. Then I asked if I could have a picture taken of me giving the Prince the present. He asked, 'What's it for?' and when I told him, 'Tomorrow's paper', he replied, 'OK, but against my better judgment'. I will never forget the relief when I got that photo back to London. 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I have been to New Zealand half a dozen times with the Prince and in 2005 took my favourite photo of him – with an albatross in Dunedin. The giant bird and its chick were just three feet from Charles, who was there to warn about the slaughter of these majestic creatures in discarded fishing nets. He is so passionate that even as King, he will go to any lengths to highlight the damage being done to the environment. Ireland, 1995 15 15 IT wasn't until the mid-Nineties that Prince Charles went on an official visit to the Republic of Ireland for the first time – though that's understandable given the long years of conflict there. Huge crowds lined O'Connell Street in Dublin, where a couple of IRA demonstrators kicked off, then suddenly they disappeared. Nothing was going to interrupt this tour. Later, Charles walked in the garden of the President's house with Mary Robinson. I photographed her pointing out the light that is never extinguished so that Irish people who emigrate know they will always be welcomed back. Later, the Prince went across to Delphi Lodge on the border between Counties Galway and Mayo, where artist Derek Hill painted this beautiful landscape. It was not until 2011 that Queen Elizabeth made her first visit to Dublin. Since 2015, Charles has gone almost every year to a different part of Ireland to celebrate the goodwill between our two countries. The King's Tour Artists forms part of the public visitor route at Buckingham Palace from July 10. 15
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
'Oasis split the day I tried to see them - I'll take my chance on reunion tour'
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On the afternoon of Sunday, August 23, 2009, V Festival was proceeding just like the 13 successful previous years… but soon, disaster struck. Tom explained: 'I was incredibly excited. V Festival was my first ever festival. I went with my sister and my parents and had two of my favourite bands headlining—The Killers, then Oasis.' Still on a high from seeing the Mr. Brightside hitmakers the night before, Tom began Sunday eager for Oasis to cap the weekend off—only for the bad news to make its way to him just 10 minutes into the afternoon. 'It was devastating. Whispers went around. We even saw a guy draw an 'N' before the Oasis logo on his shirt, so it read NOASIS. Then the official message came through—Snow Patrol were now headliners instead. 'Everyone rushed to see Lady Gaga instead. It got so busy they had to close it off, so we didn't see her either—we were stuck with Snow Patrol.' Now, 16 years on, Tom's been lucky enough to land tickets not just for the Wembley Oasis show but for their homecoming show at Heaton Park as well, just 10 miles from their birthplace of Burnage. For the eighth year, 150,000 festival goers will descend on Glasgow Green from 11-13 July to see the liked of 50 Cent, Gracie Abrams and Biffy Clyro, and you could be there! Metro has teamed up with Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT Festival to offer four VIP tickets to one lucky winner. For a chance to win this massive music prize, simply enter your details here. You have until midnight on Sunday 6 July 2025 to enter using the form below. Entrants must be 18+. Good luck! T&Cs apply*. Click here if form is not loading. * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 18:01 BST on 2 July 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 6 July 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions is necessary to enter the promotion. There will be one (1) winner. The winner will win four (4) VIP weekend tickets for TRNSMT Festival, running from 11th – 13th July 2025 at Glasgow Green, in Glasgow ('Prize'). Proof of age and photographic ID are required for entry for all guests (the guests of the winner must be at least 16 years old at the time of entry). The Prize, including entry and attendance at TRSNMT festival, is subject to and governed by the Promoter's full ticket terms and conditions. 1 prize available. 1 entry per person. Full T&Cs apply, see here. He can scarcely believe it. 'I always hoped [a reunion] would happen one day. But even now it still feels like a dream. In seven days, I'll be standing in a field with my mum, my sister, and my fiancée, crying my eyes out to Champagne Supernova.' Somebody who was lucky enough to catch the Importance of Being Idle chart-toppers was 31-year-old Craig, who saw one of their last-ever shows before the split. Driving down from his hometown of Perth, Scotland, Craig caught Oasis at Edinburgh's Murrayfield, paying just £44 to see them alongside Reverend and the Makers, Kasabian, and The Enemy. Those were the days. 'Seeing them in 2009 was absolutely incredible; the tickets were actually my 15th birthday present from my dad—they were an incredible surprise, and it really was an incredible gig. As a young 15-year-old kid, it was absolutely life-changing.' But did he know that Oasis was just 15 more gigs away from the very end? 'I didn't know it was nearly the end, [but] I remember Liam making a comment on-stage to the sound guys—he wasn't best pleased. There had been power issues at the Manchester show [the week before]. 'Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, it felt like they were done. The chemistry between Liam and Noel was off. It makes even more sense when you hear about them travelling separately.' Craig was hurt when Oasis called it quits just weeks after the Edinburgh show, but seeing offshoot bands like Liam's Beady Eye and Noel's High-Flying Birds live put a band-aid over the wound. In the 16 intervening years, Craig 'didn't think they'd ever play live together again, at least not in the UK'—but now he gets to pass Oasis on to the next generation in his family. More Trending 'My cousin, who's five years younger than me, when I was a teenager, I kept saying to him that Oasis are the greatest band ever. We've seen Liam and Noel solo, and it'll come full circle when we see Oasis next month.' Before Craig catches the Gallaghers at Murrayfield, Tom will get to live out his dream of finally seeing Oasis in the flesh, barring any last-minute fallouts or laryngitis issues. What will it mean to finally see them? '[The comeback shows] mean everything. I was born in 1994, so my mum and me waited 15 years to see them together. That 15-year wait has now become a 31-year wait. 'I still won't believe it until I see them walk on stage together at Heaton Park.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: British rapper reveals emotional reason he pulled out of gig with minutes to go MORE: Oasis' biggest ever songs in the UK as Live 25 Tour kicks off in Cardiff MORE: Oasis superfan wants to be front row so Liam Gallagher sees tattoo of his face
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Queen Camilla's son admits 'I'd probably be dead' in candid admission
Queen Camilla's son Tom Parker-Bowles has revealed that having to make his own way financially and not lean on his parents for support probably "saved his life" Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker-Bowles, has made a candid admission about his finances, revealing that growing up without a trust fund probably "saved his life". The eldest child of the Queen spoke frankly on the White Wine Question Time podcast about his dedication to his work ethic, which he has been fostering since he was a teenager. Tom admitted to podcast host Kate Thornton that if he had grown up with a trust fund and had not been driven to work, his life today would look very different, as he was forced to learn the value of hard work and financial literacy, and work "just like everyone else". "Sadly, no trust fund. You know, actually, it's a good thing not having a trust fund. I'd probably be dead if I'd had one," Tom said. "Obviously, I had to work like everyone. You know, you have to work. It's important. So, I stumbled somewhat into food writing, 25 years ago when the landscape was rather different." Before finding his passion for food writing, Tom worked numerous jobs while he found his career footing. He had a brief stint in the PR world, as he recalled: "I worked for a wonderful film PR company called DDA and they used to run Cannes and you'd be looking after talent. "So you'd be taking Alicia Silverstone round London in the '90s or Anna Friel or whatever. So it wasn't exactly the most arduous task for a straight man. It wasn't the most arduous of jobs, but I was always late. "I'm still friends with my bosses, Stacey and Dennis, and they're lovely people. But eventually, enough was enough. I got sacked… So anyway, I was sitting around thinking, you know, what the hell am I going to do?" Tom then found his passion for food writing and published nine cookbooks, and is still a regular contributor to Mail on Sunday and Country Life. Elsewhere in the podcast, Tom made a candid admission about his mother and how it was "never her aim" to be Queen, while also praising the relationship between Charles and Camilla. He said: "As I've said before, you know, with my mother - it was never her aim. It was just a story of two people who loved each other. And as you get older, you're happy that your father's happy, that your mother's happy, that your stepfather is happy. You know, that's what matters." Tom also said that "not in a million years' did he expect his mother to become Queen, but is 'proud' of her and all she has done for the monarchy.
