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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Athena Stavrou

Queen Camilla reunites with ex Andrew Parker Bowles for launch Of Tom Parker Bowles’s Cooking & The Crown

Richard Young/Shutterstock

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Queen Camilla and her former husband Andrew Parker Bowles were all smiles on Thursday night as they came together to celebrate the launch of their son’s royal cookbook.

The pair - who were married for 22-years prior to Camilla’s union with the King - proved to still be on the friendliest of terms as they celebrated the release of Tom Parker Bowles ninth book.

Dressed in a monochrome polka dot maxi dress, the Queen beamed as the entire family including her daughter, Laura Lopes, 46, and sister Annabel Eliot, 75, reunited at the event in London.

Attendees at The Audley pub in Mayfair ate Scotch eggs and Coronation chicken sandwiches, and ditched pints of lager in favour of chilled negronis and glasses of crisp white wine.

Also pictured at trendy watering hole was British Vogue editor Chioma Nnadi, Camilla’s niece Louisa and Andrew’s brother Simon Parker Bowles.

The food critic’s latest book, Cooking and The Crown: Royal Recipes From Queen Victoria To King Charles III, will launch on September 26.

The pair - who were married for 22-years prior to Camilla’s union with the King - proved to still be on the friendliest of terms as they celebrated the release of Tom Parker Bowles ninth book. (Richard Young/Shutterstock)

It will feature some iconic recipes eaten by the royal family since the 19th century including Queen Camilla’s porridge, George V’s curry, the King’s wet martini and Bombe Glacée Princess Elizabeth.

Guests poured over recipes while waiting for Tom to sign their copy. During his speech, the food critic gave a heartfelt thanks to King Charles and Camilla for their support while working on the recipes.

Camilla, 77, and Andrew, 84, are meanwhile said to still be “joined at the hip” despite an at times turbulent marriage.

Camilla and Andrew share two children, food critic Tom, 49, (right) and artist Laura Lopes, 46 (left) (Richard Young/Shutterstock)

Camilla and Charles famously had an affair during their respective marriages to Diana and Andrew, who was also famously known as having been “very naughty with women”.

Charles and Diana announced their separation in 1992 while Camilla and Andrew divorced in 1995, saying in a statement that “throughout our marriage we have always tended to follow rather different interests, but in recent years we have led completely separate lives”.

Dressed in a monochrome polka dot maxi dress, the Queen beamed as sister Annabel Eliot, 75, (centre left) spoke to her ex-husband (centre right) (Richard Young/Shutterstock)

Charles and Camilla then married in 2005, 35 years after they originally met, while Andrew remarried the year after.

Camilla and Andrew share two children, Tom, 49, and artist Laura, 46, and their family remain tight-knit despite the torrent of press attention they have faced.

“They are joined at the hip,” a friend of Parker Bowles told The Sunday Times in April 2023. “He arranges so much for her. They have lunch together the whole time. He’s right in there. He was always, and still is, Camilla’s co-conspirator.”

The Queen’s niece Louisa Parker Bowles (left) and British Vogue editor Chioma Nnadi were in attendance (Richard Young/Shutterstock)

The former army brigadier, who is now dating former host of the Weakest Link Anne Robinson, was even invited to the King’s Coronation and Camilla’s and Charles’ wedding.

Their alliance appeared to be in good stead on Thursday evening as they joined other A-listers at the exclusive book launch.

Makeup mogul Charlotte Tilbury attended the event (Richard Young/Shutterstock)

The Queen was all smiles as she chatted to her beloved sister - who had been employed by Charles and Camilla for two decades as their interior designer during their tenure at Clarence House.

Other guests included Freddie Windsor, Jemima Khan, Maureen Lipman and Charlotte Tilbury.

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