Former Royal Employee Reveals Why King Charles and Queen Camilla Live in Separate Homes
Clarence House is King Charles and Queen Camilla’s London base property. But where do they live when they’re off duty? Well, some are surprised to learn that they don’t live together under the same roof and actually have separate primary residences.
The king lives at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire whenever he doesn’t have official business in or around London, while Camilla retreats to her Ray Mill House in Wiltshire, England, when she doesn’t need to be in the city or attend an engagement.
Reason King Charles and Queen Camilla have always had separate homes
Jack Stooks was King Charles’ senior gardener at the royal’s Highgrove House estate for more than two decades. He spoke about how ever since he’s known the royal couple, they’ve had a separate living arrangement that works for them.
Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Stooks told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “They came into their relationship later in life, and I think it’s quite nice that they were able to maintain their own separate homes. It meant they could still feel they had a place that was truly theirs.
“It wasn’t a case of Camilla having to move into Highgrove House and her children suddenly feeling as though they no longer had a home of their own to visit, especially as Highgrove is so closely associated with Prince William and Prince Harry. It feels like a very considerate arrangement for everyone, and they clearly seem happy. Why change what works for them?”
Stooks previously explained via JeffBet that the king and queen’s living arrangement is one of the keys to their successful marriage, noting, “Charles enjoys time alone, and he’s got a very strong work ethic. He’s been known to work at his desk into the early hours. Camilla, meanwhile, has a lot of friends and is close to her family. They’re both independent people and don’t mind time apart. The fact they don’t live in each other’s pockets is one of the many reasons their marriage works.”
The king and queen do not sleep in the same bedroom when they are at the same residence
And even when the royal couple does stay in the same residence, they don’t sleep in the same bedroom.
“[Charles] has a room with a double bed, decorated to his own taste. Then Camilla has her own room with a double bed, decorated just the way she likes it,” a friend of the king and queen told the Daily Mail.
While that seems like an odd arrangement for some, it’s not uncommon with royals and their spouses.
“In England, the upper class always have had separate bedrooms. You don’t want to be bothered with snoring or someone flinging a leg around,” Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin Lady Pamela Hicks shared.
The Mirror reported that another reason for the separate sleeping arrangement may have to do with the king’s health, as the monarch has suffered from back pain for years and sleeping alone in a bed makes things easier for him during the night.
