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

How Duchess Camilla stopped Charles’ ‘pompous’ drink orders
(Image credit: Getty)

Duchess Camilla put a stop to Prince Charles' entitled behavior with royal staff early in their relationship, a royal biographer has claimed. 


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.’" 

Duchess Camilla

(Image credit: Getty)

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. 

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.' 

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(Image credit: Getty)

"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." 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

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.