How Duchess Camilla put a stop to ‘ridiculous’ Charles’ ‘pompous’ gin-and-tonic orders
Camilla Parker Bowles refused to tolerate Prince Charles' entitled attitude with royal staff, according to a new biography


Duchess Camilla put a stop to Prince Charles' entitled behavior with royal staff early in their relationship, a royal biographer has claimed.
- Duchess Camilla has always refused to tolerate Prince Charles treating royal staffers with entitlement, scoffing at him when he asks others to bring him his drinks.
- Camilla Parker Bowles will tell the future King he's being 'ridiculous' if he makes unnecessary requests to his servants, according to a new royal book.
- In other royal news, Princess Diana was included in Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding day in the most touching way.
Camilla Parker Bowles has always refused to allow Prince Charles to act in a 'pompous' manner with his royal servants, according to an upcoming biography.
The Duchess of Cornwall, who married the Prince of Wales in 2005 after a decades-long romance, reportedly has no tolerance for her husband's entitlement as heir to the British throne—and will call him out on it if needs be.
The exclusive insight into the future King and Queen-consort's dynamic is detailed in Tina Brown's The Palace Papers, which also alleges that Camilla had to be 'coaxed' out of bed before her wedding to the eldest of Queen's children.
“Camilla stops the pompous thing with Charles," a son of the Queen's friend told the royal author. "She won’t let him get away with telling his man to get his gin and tonic. She says: ‘Oh, don’t be so ridiculous. Let me pour the gin and tonic.’"
This no-nonsense approach was never intended to upset Charles, however.
Rather, it's understood that the Duchess is committed to lightening things up for her notoriously uptight husband. The 73-year-old has previously been reported as 'difficult to work with', with some royal insiders claiming he is very particular in his demands.
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Camilla, widely considered to be the more relaxed half of the couple, reportedly made it her mission to help Charles overcome this tense disposition.
According to Brown, the former secretary was the "horse whisperer of his emotional needs and always knew how to dispense tough love with charm. If Camilla had a family motto, it would be 'Thou Shalt Not Whine'."
Her influence on Charles over the years appears to have worked its magic, turning the future monarch into a 'much happier man.'
"He used to be quite a morose character; he was very serious and didn’t laugh a lot," royal expert Penny Junor told Hello! magazine in 2019. "Camilla snapped him out of that and she has completely transformed him. He is a much happier man and has so much more confidence these days. It’s wonderful to see."

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.
Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.
-
Everyone loves Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, but Ruth Langsford relies on this under-the-radar buy for a radiant complexion instead
Buffing away dead skin cells, this formula is Ruth's secret to unveiling a smooth, luminous complexion
-
My regular swimsuit is taking a back seat this summer - I'm wearing this wetsuit-inspired costume instead
This year, I decided to focus on finding a wetsuit swimming costume that provides warmth minus the squeeze and effort, so I can enjoy a dip without the exertion
-
King Charles and Camilla's exhausting trick for beating jet lag on whirlwind overseas visits proves their dedication
King Charles and Queen Camilla paid a short visit to Canada last month
-
Oh Harry, what have you done? Why that BBC interview could've ruined any chance of a reconciliation
In 30 brutal minutes the Duke of Sussex practically ensured that King will never speak to him again.
-
King Charles 'insistent' that Prince William and Kate shouldn't make his 'mistake', leading to 'royal first'
A touching conversation apparently took place between father and son about royal vs family priorities.
-
Princess Anne's unusual nickname for King Charles shows just how 'close' they really are
The Princess Royal has the sweetest nickname for her brother King Charles and has been described by an expert as his 'right-hand woman'
-
King Charles made his feelings clear on one of Kate Middleton's favorite hobbies - and he's not a fan
Kate Middleton's favorite hobby is one her father-in-law isn't a fan of and King Charles took up something else after finding it 'impossible'
-
King Charles hopes Princess Charlotte will do something extremely special when he's 'very old'
Whether or not she becomes a working royal one day, the King has always wished for his granddaughter to have this special role.
-
Queen Camilla sends subtle but sweet message as she and King Charles share 20th wedding anniversary video
The King and Queen have taken us on a trip down memory lane as they marked their milestone anniversary with a special video montage.
-
There's 'only one person' King Charles will 'listen to' when it comes to his health, says royal expert
King Charles is known for his 'workaholic' ways and his commitment to his schedule hasn’t changed since his cancer diagnosis.