King Charles and Queen Camilla have a happy marriage, but there’s one hobby they get really competitive about, according to Camilla’s son, Tom Parker Bowles. In his new cookbook, Cooking and the Crown, which features royal-inspired recipes, Tom shared that the couple loves collecting mushrooms and are very competitive about who finds the most. King Charles has enjoyed this hobby for years, and now it’s something they both take seriously! Tom revealed this while introducing his recipe for fresh pappardelle with porcini mushrooms.
Tom wrote that King Charles and Queen Camilla are “obsessed” with collecting wild mushrooms and are very competitive about how much they find. He also praised King Charles for his eco-friendly approach to food, calling him a “true food hero.” According to Tom, the King knows a lot about rare types of cattle, old varieties of plums and apples, the benefits of mutton, wild mushrooms, and even the strong appeal of smelly cheese!
Every monarch has their own favorite foods and habits, and King Charles is known for his passion for sustainable, eco-friendly farming. He’s been focused on this long before it became popular, and his advice is very valuable because of how much he knows.
Tom, a food critic who grew up with Queen Camilla and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, recently shared that Camilla was strict about food when he was a child, making sure he followed a healthy diet.
In an interview, Tom shared that he grew up eating food that was local, seasonal, and organic, long before those terms became popular. His mother, Queen Camilla, would shop at small, local stores like the butcher, fishmonger, bakery, and greengrocer. Although Tom liked some processed foods, they were rare in his home. He also said his mother, who he praised as a “good cook,” kept a close eye on what they were allowed to eat.
Tom joked that when a Sainsbury’s supermarket opened in Chippenham in the early ’80s, it felt like everything changed from black-and-white to full color, just like in The Wizard of Oz. Suddenly, there were exciting foods like Ice Magic, Birds Eye Chicken Pies, Butterscotch Angel Delight, and big packs of Monster Munch. He and his siblings wanted to try it all, but his mother, Queen Camilla, was still pretty strict about what they could eat.
Husband Ridicules Antique Egg Wife Purchased at Flea Market, So She Requests He Unwrap It
My husband once teased me for buying a small enameled egg at a flea market, but he was in for a surprise. I have always loved visiting flea markets, drawn to the idea of sifting through other people’s discarded items to find hidden treasures. This passion started when I was eleven, spending summers with my grandmother in New England. We would explore every flea market and street fair we could find, searching for what she called “preloved jewels”.
Even as a mother and grandmother now, nothing excites me more than rummaging through various stalls, hoping to find something special among the ordinary. My husband, Sam, is a kind and hardworking man, but he doesn’t understand my obsession. He often refers to my finds as “hoarder junk”, which sometimes causes tension between us. Despite his criticisms, I have no intention of giving up my weekend adventures with a budget of $20, determined to uncover a hidden gem.
Recently, Sam surprised me by asking to join me on one of my trips. It all started a month ago when I visited a nearby town’s street fair. I felt a thrill of excitement as I approached a modest display of knickknacks. Among the items was a small porcelain and enamel egg, roughly the size of a real egg. It wasn’t particularly beautiful, but I was drawn to it.
When I asked the seller how much it cost, he said $25. I gasped dramatically and offered him $5. After some back-and-forth, I convinced him to sell it to me for $10, and I felt a sense of victory as I tucked it away. After browsing a bit more, I headed home with my treasure in hand.
When I got home, I greeted Sam, who was skeptical about my find. He turned the egg over in his hands and discovered it was labeled “Made in Hong Kong”. He laughed and said I had been tricked. I felt a wave of disappointment but insisted that I liked it and heard something shifting inside.
With a quick motion, Sam pried the egg open, revealing a tiny bundle of red silk. As I carefully unwrapped it, I discovered a stunning pair of earrings nestled within. Although I initially thought they were just good fakes, Sam was convinced they were real diamonds after testing them with his breath, which didn’t fog up the clear center stone.
Excited, Sam suggested we take the earrings to a jeweler for appraisal. Despite my concern about the cost, we went to the mall, and the jeweler confirmed that they were indeed diamonds set in 18-carat white gold, possibly worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. My head spun when he said they could be valued at around three million dollars at auction.
Incredibly, the earrings sold for three million! We now have a lovely nest egg in the bank, and the porcelain egg proudly sits on the mantel of our new home. Sam, once a skeptic, has become an enthusiastic flea market companion, joining me in the hunt for more treasures. We may not have found that Van Gogh yet, but we remain hopeful!
This story teaches us that one person’s trash can truly become another’s treasure. It also reminds us to respect and support each other’s interests—Sam’s mockery of my hobby turned into appreciation when we discovered the earrings together.
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