By Matt Jackson
Tom Parker Bowles has refuted a common “myth” about his mother, Queen Camilla, regarding her drinking habits. Tom, 50, says that despite popular perception, his mother doesn’t enjoy a “gin and tonic with a cigarette”.
In fact, Tom asserts that the reality is quite the opposite, revealing that his mother “doesn’t drink gin” at all. Instead, he shares that the Queen has a preference for red wine and is a “sensible” drinker.
During an appearance on the White Wine Question Time podcast with Kate Thornton, Tom mentioned that he has “never seen her tipsy”. He further disclosed that the Queen has been a non-smoker for over twenty years.
The conversation also touched upon Tom’s latest cookbook, from which he believes “90 per cent” of the recipes would not be suitable for the Queen due to her aversion to spicy and garlicky dishes. According to Tom, the Queen favours “quite plain” food.
He said: “If I did cook for her, it would probably be something like a piece of fish, she doesn’t really eat a lot of meat. And contrary to popular sort of stereotype, I’ve never in my whole life seen her even tipsy.”
When probed by Kate Thornton, Tom reiterated: “Never. She doesn’t drink gin, which is this whole thing, and she gave up fags 20 years ago. 30 years ago maybe.”
Podcast host Kate Thornton addressed the misconception surrounding Tom’s mother, saying: “You’re right, that kind of myth persists, doesn’t it? That she likes to knock back a G and T with a cigarette?”.
Tom replied: “Exactly. And, you know, and that was the case for a long time. But no, not gin… she likes red wine but is a very moderate and sensible drinker you know, I mean literally a glass and a half. But back to cooking for her.
“Yeah, it would be fish. Or maybe, you know, she does very good scrambled eggs.”
The Queen has openly expressed her partiality for a glass of wine, attributing her taste to her early years. As President of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, the Queen remarked: “My father was in the wine business so as children we used to take wine and water and I have drunk it ever since.
“He always said it was his medicine and it kept him going. He used to take two or three glasses a day.”
While Tom notes that the Queen isn’t particularly fond of gin, recent reports suggest that King Charles enjoys a daily gin martini. Royal commentator Gordon Rayner disclosed that the King’s martini is a blend of equal parts gin and dry vermouth, with either an olive or lemon twist for garnish.
King Charles is reportedly so committed to his evening martini ritual that he brings the necessary ingredients with him on his travels. In an article for the Telegraph, Rayner wrote: “When he travels abroad he takes his own spirits with him to be mixed by his staff to his precise taste, while the Queen takes her own supply of red wine, usually from the Pomerol appellation of Bordeaux.
“The King may sip a glass of wine during dinner but his martini is effectively his only drink of the day.”