The Motto Queen Camilla Held on to "Whenever Things Got Bad" for the Parker Bowles Family, According to Her Son

"That's what's kept her going, I think."

Tom Parker Bowles with his mom Queen Camilla
(Image credit: Matt Cardy - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Tom Parker Bowles is getting candid about what it was like growing up with Queen Camilla as his mother. Having shared he thinks he'd "probably be dead" if his parents had given him a trust fund, the food writer revealed the motto his mom held on to whenever their family faced difficult situations or royal drama.

During his appearance on the "White Wine Question Time" podcast, The Queen's son opened up about his mother's motto (via GB News). According to Parker Bowles, Queen Camilla abides by the phrase, "You have to laugh." He explained, "If you can't laugh about certain things, that's what's kept her going, I think, a sense of humor."

Parker Bowles continued, "You have to be able to laugh at things...And whenever things got bad, we just pulled back together like the Roman centurions moving into their tortoise formation with the shields around." Sharing just how crucial family was during tough moments, the food critic explained, "It was important, that power of togetherness."

The Parker Bowles family in Windsor in June 1992

"It was important, that power of togetherness."

(Image credit: Mathieu Polak/Sygma via Getty Images)

Parker Bowles also reflected on his mother's role within the monarchy, saying, "My mother, as The Queen now, is doing a magnificent job, we're all incredibly proud of her."

He also suggested that Camilla never planned to become Queen. "It was just a story of two people who loved each other," Parker Bowles shared.

Queen Camilla with her son Tom Parker Bowles

"My mother, as The Queen now, is doing a magnificent job."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

During his podcast appearance, the food writer also discussed the fact that his family never gave him a trust fund. "You know, actually, it's a good thing not having a trust fund," he explained (via the Daily Mail). "I'd probably be dead if I'd had one." Parker Bowles continued, "Obviously, I had to work like everyone. You know, you have to work. It's important."

Parker Bowles's most recent book, Cooking & The Crown: Royal Recipes From Queen Victoria to King Charles III, was released in late 2024, and explores the Royal Family's culinary habits.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.