In a recent Daily Beast piece, Royalist columnist Tom Sykes said that this year’s royal Christmas festivities at Sandringham would be a lot different. Apparently, Prince William and Kate plan to skip a lot of the more formal aspects of the royal Christmas at the big house, opting to spend more time with the Middletons, who will be holed up at Anmer Hall. Within that piece, Sykes wrote that William and Kate prefer “the informality of a relaxed lunch at Anmer Hall, and they are unlikely to attend this year, especially if Queen Camilla again invites her son Tom Parker Bowles. William doesn’t much like Camilla, despite having made peace with his father’s choices, and is made nervous by Tom’s somewhat louche lifestyle.” It’s not a surprise that William hates Tom Parker Bowles, especially given that (I believe) Tom and his crew were part of the reason why the Rose Hanbury story came out.
It’s also established that Queen Camilla’s family gets prioritized over the actual royal family – Camilla made a point of including her kids and grandkids at Sandringham last year, which was sort of the first time the extended Parker-Bowles crew got a literal seat at the table. But according to Tom Parker Bowles, he didn’t go to Sandringham last year? And he doesn’t spend Christmas with his mother ever?
The royal family may be steeped in tradition, but under King Charles and Queen Camilla, it now reflects the modern realities of a blended family. Since their marriage 19 years ago, following their extramarital affair and respective divorces—Charles from Princess Diana in 1996 and Camilla from Andrew Parker Bowles in 1995—they’ve brought together a unique family, where Camilla’s children, Tom Parker Bowles, 49, and Laura Lopes, 46, are stepsiblings to Prince William, 42, and Prince Harry, 40.
“We live in 2024 and blended families – it’s a little bit different from the days of Victoria and Edward. If they’re happy then we’re happy and that’s where it all starts from,” Camilla’s son, Tom, tells PEOPLE amid the release of his latest book, Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III.
“We blend in and blend,” he continues. “Of course there’s the boys [William and Harry], and talking of the wider family, Peter Phillips is a little bit younger than me and I’ve grown up with him, and Zara [Tindall]. The York girls [Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie] are two of the nicest women you’d hope to meet.”
Yet, despite reports last year suggesting otherwise, Parker Bowles, 49, confirms he still hasn’t joined the royal family for their traditional Christmas gathering in Sandringham.
“We are married in, we are not the royal family – I’ve never for one second said that,” he says. “I find everyone incredibly nice and friendly and we’ve know them all for a long time. It does seem natural. That’s not to say myself and the children spend running around palaces. I have my own job and the children have school. I haven’t been to Christmas yet for various reasons.”
Although they don’t spend Christmas at Sandringham, Camilla often joins her children and ex-husband for a post-holiday gathering. “My mother and father are still great friends and we will go down on December 27 and my mother will sometimes come,” Tom says. “It is something to work towards. It’s a maturity that is a great thing if — despite a marriage sometimes not working –you can keep it together for the sake of the children and the sake of each other then it’s a very good thing.”
Reflecting on his own split from Buys (the couple separated in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2022), he adds, “I’m divorced, but you get on with your ex-wife for the sake of the children, that’s what matters. My priority is to make sure my children are happy and safe and comfortable – just like any other divorced father.”
Reading between the lines, I’m guessing that Tom’s relationship with his ex-wife Sara Buys is more complicated than we’ve been led to believe, and that Sara probably doesn’t want her kids to be stuck in Sandringham on Christmas Day, and Tom follows her lead. Either that or Tom is just lying and he was in Norfolk last year. It’s funny that Tom is saying this just days after “sources” emphasized that Prince William wouldn’t show up to Christmas lunch if Tom is there. Is Tom trying to keep the peace? I bet Camilla will be mad as hell.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Very contradictory Tom, if Charles is such a good step papa and always gives your children cookies why haven’t you spent Christmas with him then??
He’s not being truthful here. In an interview in the Telegraph (or Times) 3/4 years ago, he said his mother leaves after the formalities to Join her own family for Xmas.
This was, of course, when Liz was alive.
Maybe he wasn’t truthful then.
This family is a disfunctional mess and Chuckles and his favorite Horsilla are to blame. Merry F**KING Christmas.
This dude was born wihorsilla mould it’s crazy. No woman could ever claim him as her own he looks so much like her. (Not like anybody would)
What a dreadful family all around .. all of them
Wait, wait— what does Tom parker Bowles have to do with the Rose story?
Journalist Giles Coren tweeted that everyone knew about the rose gardening, TPB is best buds with him.
It was Tom’s best friend who outed the Rose affair on twitter. I believe these ppl, Tom and his BFF and of course Camilla are very well connected, even part of the turnip toff circles and know everything about William’s private conduct. Tom could be one of his Mom’s ears in the younger toff set. The toffs probably also gossip like it’s their job (it probably is) and Tom might also know stuff William told his friends in confidence. So I get why Peg doesn’t like Tom around the family table.
This definitely gives a lot more credibility to those rumors.
Notice he doesn’t talk about his interactions with William and Harry. Just going by Harry’s book I’m guessing there’s no relationship between “the boys” and Tom Parker Bowles.
I can see ow he wouldn’t want to be at Sandringham for Christmas though. What with the regimented timetable, all the formalities, and the lack of fun, it sounds absolutely deathly dull.
So TPB says he hasn’t been to Sandringham for Christmas, but we’re to believe James Middleton has? With Ella?
Yeah, no. We’ve suspected JM was lying, especially that “QEII and I were best friends” part. And there have been various reports that there wasn’t even enough room to host all blood royals.
Sad, really.
I think James probably had a two minute polite conversation with qe2 once maybe twice. He probably pushed the dog theme, because everyone knows qe2 loved them and this is James’s only topic of conversation anyway. The rest about Ella running aroind some castle and sneaking into the kitchen in a Hallmark storyline Carole plagiarized when she wrote 85% of James’s book.
All of the talking lately has revealed a lot of contradictions from various old stories. James revealed Kate spent the majority of her first two pregnancies at Bucklebury. He revealed Kate and William spend weekends at Bucklebury. Tom Sykes just revealed the Wales have never done the formal Sandringham lunch. The kids have never attended. Now this.
I expect that the “various reasons” are all “He wasn’t invited.”
I think this is it. TPB used to be a drug dealer to the aristocrats. There was a time when drug addiction and overdose deaths were not unknown amongst the aristocracy. TPP has had a very bad reputation and people have long memories.
So he doesn’t go? So then why was Pegs using him as his excuse not to go?
Hmm. Maybe this is TPB telling William that he will not be used as an excuse or fodder in whatever holiday pr William, Kate and the midds are currently putting out there. It’s interesting bc it was first said in the DB, right? They really seem to sometimes communicate w each other through Sykes. Sykes, TPB and Giles Coren, oh my.
This is what it sounds like to me as well. That he doesn’t want to be dragged into the – why is xy not going to Sandrinham this year- storyline. And he is right, because next thing you know he will be blamed for Harry not attending, despite H never being invited. He has already said before that he doesn’t want to take sides between Harry and Peg. He only kisses KC’s ass and that’s it.
Trying to make Tom happen. James Middleton articles have disappeared. Time for Tom to end 15 minutes of fame. Why is it of any importance if Tom attends or not.
But Tom is different. James is harmless and inconsequential. Until Carole is happy, the Middletons are harmless. But for KC Tom is Cam’s kid and for William he is a person who knows way too much about his private life and history, and not just from Camilla. So when Tom has something to say he will get a platform for sure. And in this instance he is distancing himself from the Sandringham Xmas shenenigans that are coming.
Various reasons. Hahaha!
Shut up Tom, hasn’t Cowmilla done enough for you?
Ya lazy worthless buttlicker.
I think the truth is TPB and the rest of Camilla’s brood are really not welcome at Sandringham now and they do Christmas at Ray Mill. That’s just the party line they put out.
That wedding photo of C&C, that was the best Cowmilla has ever looked in her life.
Really think about what we know about everyone in this photo, now that Harry wrote Spare.
What a hot mess of a family.
Makes a person glad to be a “commoner”.
In my family, we had troubles. Mostly poverty.
But, FGS! We didn’t spend decades plotting, cheating and lying to and about each other.
Far as I know Cowmillas daughter might be the one who isn’t flogging a stupid book about royal connections, so far.
Camilla wore white to her actual wedding (registry). Meghan gets trashed by bots for wearing white to her ceremony. Double standards.
I do not believe for a minute that William spends his weekends at Buckleburry. That was another rom com scenario dreamed up by Carole
Tom is not a “married in.” He would have to marry an actual royal to be a married in. What is he talking about. He is stepson of the King. But not a “married in.” Camilla actually was the one to marry in.
Is made nervous by Tom’s louche lifestyle but is best friends with Mike Tindall….ohh…kay…
He has his mother’s face. Tragique.
This dude looks just like the clown (Bill Skarsgard) from the movie, It. He’s atrocious looking.
Is this guy bucking for a tiled
I assume that while the Queen was alive, Camilla’s family would not be invited. As long as one parent was alive, I don’t think any member of Camilla’s family would be invited for Christmas, because the Queen would have to do the inviting. With Charles as king, he might invite his consort’s family, but Charles has no moral authority to bring two families together. Charles really isn’t even a credible head of the Windsors. His mother was a matriarch but Charles is nothing. He’s not an effective head of anything- not the Church, not his own family, not the Commonwealth, not the state. He is a pathetic little man. One would feel sorry for him if he were not so cruel, heartless, and self-centered.