Food critic and writer Tom Parker Bowles shares a special connection with the British royal family. As the son of Queen Camilla from her first marriage, Tom is the stepson of King Charles. But can he hold royal titles like his step-brothers, Prince William and Harry?
Well, Tom does not think so. Instead, he thinks chaos would erupt in Britain if he were ever called a Prince. During a recent appearance on Samuel Goldsmith’s Good Food podcast, the 51-year-old opined that people would storm Buckingham Palace if he acquired a royal title.
When the host said that he would want to become a Prince if his mother were a Queen, Tom replied, “I’d tell you that would be the quickest way to revolution. I think we’re fairly balanced and sober and sensible country on the whole, but if I suddenly became prince, I think Buckingham Palace gates would be stormed.”
Tom Parker Bowles has joined his mother at Cheltenham 🏇 pic.twitter.com/Hg4HLYOGrM
— no context queen camilla (@nocontxtcamilla) March 12, 2025
Tom added that the move would disrupt the peaceful functioning of the monarchy and its years of glorious past, and hence, being called a Prince is certainly not on his cards.
He stated, “It would be appalling. Really, no…I think that would put back the long and glorious cause of the monarchy in Britain by many years, no.”
Tom does not even need a royal title, as he has made a successful career for himself in the food industry. Born in 1974 to Queen Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles, he has so far authored nine cookbooks. He has won several accolades in his career, including the Guild of Food Writers award in 2010.
Despite not being a member of the royal family, Tom shares a close relationship with his mother and his stepfather, the King. He previously stated that he speaks with Camilla all the time, and she deeply loves his children, Lola and Frederick.
Happy birthday Tom Parker Bowles
British food writer and critic, author of cookbooks and culinary histories like Let’s Eat and The Year of Eating Dangerously. pic.twitter.com/FKuWUUTqyW
— 🚨 Books Update (@NextGen_AI_View) December 18, 2025
Coincidentally, Tom’s most recent book also involves the royal family. In October 2024, he launched the book Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III, which explores 200 years of British royal food.
Tom is aware that some people think he got access to the royal recipes due to his close relationship with the family, but he has no qualms about the comments. When he launched the book, he had an interview with British Vogue and said, “Yeah, I know full well: nepotism, blah, blah, blah. Fair game.”
He added, “But I thought, ‘You know what? In my defence, I can say that I’ve had 25 years of keeping away from it. If I’d come in and said, ‘Hey, guys. This is going to be the exclusive royal family cookbook, ’ I think that would be a bit of a sellout. But I approached it as I approach every other book.”
