Tom Parker Bowles on putting mother Queen Camilla 'through hell': 'God, it was fun'

Gabriela Peacock's podcast, 'Don't Judge Me' has welcomed Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, and during his foodie chat, the 51-year-old has opened up about his royal mother too. 

Nutritionist and founder of GP Nutrition, Gabriela didn't shy away from tricky topics, and asked Tom how he felt about the public having a "strong opinion" of his mother. 

He candidly said: "Just because everyone's being nice now doesn't mean we don't remember that back in the '90s when it was all pretty nasty."

Tom praised his mother's resilience saying: "There have been times that haven’t been so wonderful, but my mother just gets on with it, in that sort of English way: 'Never complain, never explain', and just get on with it."

Behind closed doors, Tom reveals that they are just like any other family and even admits to rows with his mum, despite her Queen status. “It's still the same. We still bicker over things.”

Tom has an extremely close relationship with his mother now, but he does confess that he put her "through hell" in his teen years by getting up to "all sorts". 

“God, it was fun… however chemically induced some of it might have been back in the day. I don't regret any of that at all. I regret putting my parents through hell and being caught doing it," he said. 

Tom shares two teenage children, Lola and Freddy, with his ex-wife Sara Buys.

When asked to describe his life right now in three words to conclude the conversation, Tom joked that it was "not too bad" but quickly pointed out his privileged position as the son of a Queen. "I've been born lucky. I’ve been born privileged. I never lose sight of that."

Camilla's relationship with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles 

During the candid chat, Tom touched on his mother's relationship with his father, Andrew Parker Bowles. He said: "My mother and father, even though they're remarried and all the rest of it, are still very close."

Camilla's divorce statement in 1995 also spoke about a "lasting friendship" at the end of her 21-year marriage.

The full, official joint statement released through their lawyers at the time read as follows:

"Throughout our marriage we have always tended to follow rather different interests, but in recent years we have led completely separate lives. It has grown to the point where there is little of common interest to us, and we have reached the decision that a divorce would be in the best interest of both of us.

"We have grown apart to such an extent that, with the exception of our children and a lasting friendship, there is little of common interest between us. We have, therefore, taken the decision to seek a divorce. This decision was taken jointly and amicably."