Tom Parker Bowles Reveals Royal Family's 5 O'Clock Tea Ritual: 'It's of Primary Importance' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Tom Parker Bowles in 2021.Photo:News Licensing /MEGA

News Licensing /MEGA

Tom Parker Bowles, son ofQueen Camillaand both the stepson and godson ofKing Charles, is spilling the tea on what’s been simmering in palace kitchens for generations.

In his latest book,Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III, the food writer, 49, offers a glimpse into the culinary traditions of the royals.

“I hope it gives readers a taste of British royal family life over the last 180 years," he adds. “Food is a prism through which you can see many things—history, society and economics.”

And Parker Bowles' book, his ninth in 20 years, also sheds a little light on this famously enigmatic family. Charles, 75, may skip lunch, but he’s a passionate advocate for food and farming, someone who “can tell the difference between 10 types of greengage,” Parker Bowles tells PEOPLE, referring to the small, plum-like fruit.

Dave Benett/Getty Images

The days of royal extravagance—like those of Edward VII, whose favorite snack took eight hours to prepare—are long gone. Still, one tradition remains firmly intact: tea at 5 p.m. “It’s of primary importance,” says Parker Bowles. “It’s not just a cup of tea—it’s an entire meal. There are sandwiches, two different kinds of cake, scones, biscuits, shrimp and eggs.”

For more on Tom Parker Bowles' new cookbook, pick up a copy of PEOPLE on newsstands on Friday.

Parker Bowles family, particularly his daughter Lola, 17, and son Freddy, 14, whom he shares with ex-wife Sara Buys, was brought into the spotlight and a watching worldwide audience with the May 2023 coronation of Charles and Camilla,who arrived in Australia last week for their highly anticipated tour.

His children have grown up close to “Gaga and Uppa,” their affectionate names for Camilla and Charles. “They adore her,” he says. “They adore the King too. He has been a wonderful step-grandfather.”

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Tom Parker Bowles cookbook 2024.Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House

He often surprises them with gifts of their favorite German cookies, Langenburger Wibele, packaged in a signature green box.

“He is such a good, nice man,” Parker Bowles says. “He has his own grandchildren, obviously. The children utterly adore him. From an early age, he’s read them stories, been there, and swung them around.”

As for his mother, he is “incredibly proud of her,” as she supports her husband the King through both his cancer and their public work.

“She’s at an age when most people think of retiring, but she never complains; she just gets on with it,” he says.

source: people.com