Tom Parker Bowles: ‘My mother hardly drinks. Never seen her so much as tipsy’

Queen Camilla exists in the zeitgeist half in the bag, with a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. That’s always been her image, and I believe it’s the reality too. Camilla is a boozehound, she loves a stiff drink or a couple glasses of wine. But according to her son Tom Parker Bowles, the boozehound jokes are not funny because Camilla isn’t really like that.

Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles confesses to ‘loving’ Harry Enfield’s portrayal of King Charles in the spoof Channel 4 series The Windsors – in which Pippa Middleton ‘seduces’ Prince Harry.

But Tom, promoting his new royal cookery book, hotly disputes the late Haydn Gwynne’s portrayal of his mother as a gin-swigging chainsmoker.

‘It’s inaccurate. She never drunk a glass of gin in her life. Doesn’t smoke,’ he says, adding: ‘Sadly, the woman who played my mum died. She was really brilliant. But my mother hardly drinks. Never seen her so much as tipsy.’

[From The Daily Mail]

One thing I’ll admit is that I think Queen Elizabeth was more of a gin-drinker. I don’t know all of Camilla’s favorites, but I doubt Camilla has “never drunk a glass of gin in her life.” She probably prefers Scotch, maybe? Vodka? And while Camilla doesn’t smoke anymore – at least that’s what people say – she was a smoker for decades. Charles basically made her give it up when she was well into her 50s. And given the way Camilla staggers around, “my mother hardly drinks. Never seen her so much as tipsy” sounds like a blatant lie.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN, Cover Images.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

63 Responses to “Tom Parker Bowles: ‘My mother hardly drinks. Never seen her so much as tipsy’”

  1. Proud Mary says:

    From what I hear about Tommy’s habits, how would he know the difference?

  2. Mimi says:

    He is made of lies.

    • mightymolly says:

      This is fairly harmless. We all know it’s a lie and it doesn’t impact anything, but I’m so sick of “alternative facts,” people telling lies about what’s right in front of us. I don’t know anything about TPB, but I do know that’s it’s typically white men reeking of privilege who pull this crap.

  3. Interested Gawker says:

    O.K., no. Just no. I don’t believe that at all.

  4. Well there sure are lots of photos of her downing glasses of wine so I think she drinks Tom.

  5. Afken says:

    In which Pippa seduces Harry

    These people are so obsessed with that idea even in real life, to the point where Harry had to go on the record to say he wasn’t and had never interested in pippa. These people make me cringe.

    Also take this with a grain of salt because no one would’ve accused the Queen of being a boozer but she drank everyday so these people’s standards are not our standards.

    • Tessa says:

      Pippa never had a chance. Neither did Carole in pushing Pippa on Harry.

    • Becks1 says:

      The show is total satire. The reason Harry went on the record about Pippa had nothing to do with that show, i’m sure.

    • Meredith says:

      The queen not only drank daily, but she started at lunch time and kept drinking! And this was open knowledge. She was a great figurehead but probably also a functioning alcoholic.

  6. Pinkosaurus says:

    Being an unapologetic boozy old bag was probably the only thing I liked about Camilla. Oh, and I guess her ability to carry off the biggest of the big gun tiaras. That’s it. Now we are back down to one thing.

  7. Hypocrisy says:

    There is far too much photo and video evidence out there from her past that it is laughable to even make that statement. He should take a look through the archives featuring his mother he might learn a lot.

  8. Hell Nah! says:

    Who dat says what???

  9. ML says:

    For someone who hardly drinks, she’s often seen with an alcoholic beverage in public during daylight hours. A heavy drinker for a woman is more than 7 drinks a week (WHO recommendations). I think she easily drinks at least a glass every day. And as someone with alcoholics in my family, be aware that heavy drinkers often do not act tipsy since their tolerance is so high.

    • Izzy says:

      For real. A friend’s mother seemed perfectly sober until she face-planted onto the pavement. They had to take her to the hospital; she was actually unconscious for several minutes. Turns out her BAL was nearly five times the legal limit. And it was two in the afternoon…

    • Becks1 says:

      I was going to say that about the heavy drinkers – she could drink several drinks a day and not come off as tipsy, especially if the drinks are spread out and if she drinks like that regularly.

    • Laura D says:

      I’ll also add that I worked in a bar with an alcoholic manager who I NEVER ever saw with a drink in his hand!

    • Christina says:

      Exactly! And cloudy old England didn’t do that to her skin. Regular drinkers have a “look” because it dehydrates skin. Spare me, son.

  10. Amy Bee says:

    Tom, Camilla has won, you don’t need to defend her habits to anyone.

  11. Krista says:

    Says the cocaine addict. Lololololol. Sure Tom.

  12. Jais says:

    Iirc Jeremy Clarkson said in an interview that he has had an occasional ciggy with Camilla. If that wasn’t the case, the palace could have sent sources out to say that Clarkson was lying. But the palace has never said one negative word about Clarkson. Funny that.

  13. Inge says:

    Sure, Jan…

    Has he ever seen her sober?

  14. Whalesnark says:

    They are a bunch of lying liars who lie as easily as they breathe. If he feels the need to address this (conveniently timed to his book release), then there’s something to it.

  15. twoz says:

    If he’s never seen her tipsy, it’s probably that she’s drunk so much and so regularly that she could down a bathtub of the stuff and not so much as blink.
    And as for ‘never drunk a glass of gin in her life’ – bovine excrement.

  16. aquarius64 says:

    TPB knows his family got a major come up when Camilla became queen and the boozy bed wench image is a drag. I wouldn’t be surprised if the aristos still look down on Cam as well as Kate; two women who literally slept their ways to the top. They’re tolerated because of their royal marriages.

    • Lavendel says:

      I believe that men with a lot of money and a lot of power need a stable humanitarian value system, personal honour, compassion, emotional stability and humility in order not to use other people. And they need a very good knowledge of human nature so that they can recognise and sense when they themselves are being narcissistically manipulated. There is a high probability that narcissistic flattery, ingratiation and the faking of emotional relationships will lead these people into the emotional abyss with power and money. It takes men like Prince Harry who have experienced hell themselves and then, with the help of a loving partner, can live humility, compassion, honour and their humanitarian values.

  17. chatter says:

    Cam is vile, manipulating, etc.
    Drinking is the least of her nastiness. Who cares?

  18. MsIam says:

    He’s part of the Queen Camilla image rehab team. Too late though Tom, there’s too much photo evidence around about a “woman who hardly drinks” to change the narrative now.

    • Tessa says:

      I read that Tom did not want his school mates to know his middle name was Charles. Now he is glorying in the Royal Connection.

      • Cairidh says:

        At school he used to call prince Charles an unkind Nick name that also had the initials PC.

    • Meredith says:

      I actually think being boozy was part of her flirtation with the media men who were responsible for her image rehab—she may not be beloved by the public but she did a great job getting the press on her side after Diana died.

  19. tamsin says:

    I notice that he said “inaccurate” and not “false” or “not true.” I believe Camilla smokes and drinks- perhaps he’s trying to say she’s cut down a bit- she’s not totally pickled most of the time anymore. It’s the tiniest part of her image that’s restorable. Her bad spirit and character just can’t be rehabbed.

  20. Tennyson says:

    I’m 72 and French. I remember 50 or 55 years ago being shocked at the amount of liquor they all drink. For decades, even the late queen Elizabeth would take her last gin or whisky to bed, after a couple of hard cocktail after 10. I doubt any countries besides Britain have that many people actually putting hard liquor on their bedstand.
    As to Camilla she smoked for decades and has been pictured drinking for as long.

    • Jaded says:

      The Queen Mum loved her drinks as well and would usually start with her favourite drink, gin and Dubonnet, before lunch, then progress to wine with her mid-day meal, and a martini or two before dinner during which she sipped champagne.

  21. SALADSPINNER says:

    The Windsors is a hilarious show, especially if you pay any attention whatsoever to the real Windsors. The gin and the cigarettes may be inaccurate, but, lol, he’s not discounting the meat of Haydn Gwynne’s portrayal of Camilla as the Evil Queen of Evil Schemes.

  22. Nanea says:

    The pictorial and anecdotal evidence for Queen Side Piece’s drinking habit is overwhelming.

    As it is for Harry’s brother and SIL.

    If one is used to regular drinking, the tolerance for that kind of stuff is much higher before someone looks/appears tipsy.

    And the way this Wicked Witch of Windsor eyes all kinds of drinks greedily, and the way she even downs *wine* proves she’s not only tolerant, but dependent on getting her fix.

    Not a good look.

  23. Tessa says:

    Tom keeps plugging that cookbook but spends time talking about what his famous relatives “are really like.

    As far as his liking the show where Pippa “seduces” Harry, Pippa never had a chance. Carole probably wanted the match but Harry had to deny publicly that he was with Pippa.

  24. Tessa says:

    Diana would come back to Highgrove after Camilla had spent time there with Charles. She would smell the cigarettes and the odor got on the curtains and so on.

  25. Tessa says:

    Is Tom going to get a title for his campaign to help his mother.

  26. kelleybelle says:

    Bollocks, she showed up hung-over to the only job interview she ever had, and was sent home. Liar.

  27. Libra says:

    Alcohol belly is a real thing. Expanding waistlines are a sign of alcohol induced storage of body fat. Add the face wrinkles to that and then tell me she “hardly drinks”.

  28. Tessa says:

    Shouldn’t Tom be shown cooking up some of the recipes instead of talking about Charles, Camilla, Will and Kate et al.

  29. Lau says:

    It would be more believable if there weren’t so many photos of Camilla with a drink in hand, Tom !

  30. Lavendel says:

    I don’t care if this person smokes or drinks or what she looks like. For me, she remains the older, calculating woman who destroyed the marriage of the very young and innocent future Queen Diana. This marriage may not have been perfect, but it could have developed. She wanted it all, this arrogant, divorced aristocrat, with another man’s children, who never worked and she made it work. I will never understand how the British can accept this woman as Queen when they already want an old, rule-keeping monarchy. Ethically, morally and humanly she would be unacceptable to me.

  31. Anna says:

    Camilla hardly drinks, Willy is the most serious sexy dad statesman, Catherine is fragile white lily who cannot be expected to work and Meghan is really really horrible! Thanks BRF, we got your point.

  32. MY3CENTS says:

    Camilla never drinks (water).
    There, fixed it.

  33. Kathalea says:

    😂🤣😁🤣😂😄😄😄 does this mean some alcohol related articles are bout to drop?

  34. TN Democrat says:

    Does this mean her liver is so damaged she no longer gets drunk from alcohol? Lort. Harry can’t exist without constant smears to embiggen willy and keen, but Camilla’s son can use his royal connections without a word from the rota. Odd thar willy is letting this slide. Wonder what Camilla’s boy has on him from the club h days?

  35. Vixxo says:

    He is trying too hard

  36. Over it says:

    In fairness to Tommy boy, he has probably never seen his boozehound mother sober so he probably thinks her every day state is normal.

Commenting Guidelines

Read the article before commenting.

We aim to be a friendly, welcoming site where people can discuss entertainment stories and current events in a lighthearted, safe environment without fear of harassment, excessive negativity, or bullying. Different opinions, backgrounds, ages, and nationalities are welcome here - hatred and bigotry are not. If you make racist or bigoted remarks, comment under multiple names, or wish death on anyone you will be banned. There are no second chances if you violate one of these basic rules.

By commenting you agree to our comment policy and our privacy policy

Do not engage with trolls, contrarians or rude people. Comment "troll" and we will see it.

Please e-mail the moderators at cbcomments at gmail.com to delete a comment if it's offensive or spam. If your comment disappears, it may have been eaten by the spam filter. Please email us to get it retrieved.

You can sign up to get an image next to your name at Gravatar.com Thank you!

Leave a comment after you have read the article

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment