{"id":562955,"date":"2026-08-08T16:26:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/562955\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:26:23","slug":"why-king-charles-and-queen-camilla-spend-their-weekends-apart-after-20-years-of-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/562955\/","title":{"rendered":"Why King Charles and Queen Camilla spend their weekends apart after 20 years of marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"

King Charles and Queen Camilla have been married for more than 20 years, but their approach to married life might look a little unconventional from the outside.<\/p>\n

You may also likeContinue reading<\/p>\n

Despite their demanding schedules and shared royal responsibilities, the King and Queen reportedly make room for something that has long been part of their relationship, and that is their independence.<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 -King Charles and Queen Camilla have been married since April 2005 and have maintained a degree of independence in their private lives.<\/p>\n

According to the Daily Mail\u2019s royal editor Rebecca English, Charles and Camilla frequently spend portions of their weekends at separate country homes, with the King retreating to his beloved Highgrove House while Camilla enjoys time at Ray Mill House, the private Wiltshire property she has maintained since before marrying Charles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can understand why it looks a little odd to people, but it actually works for them,\u201d English said during a recent episode of the Daily Mail\u2019s \u201cPalace Confidential.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 WPA PoolKing Charles visits the Highgrove stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2025. The monarch reportedly enjoys spending weekends at Highgrove House, where his passion for gardening has shaped the estate’s celebrated gardens.
\nCamilla was determined to keep her own home<\/p>\n

Ray Mill House has remained an important part of Camilla\u2019s private life for decades. Camilla purchased the property following the breakdown of her marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, whom she divorced in 1995.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When she and Charles prepared to marry in 2005, questions reportedly arose over whether she would continue to maintain the residence, particularly because keeping a separate property required additional security.<\/p>\n

\"An\u00a9 Keith Waldegrave\/Mail On Sunday\/ShutterstockAn aerial view of Ray Mill House, Queen Camilla\u2019s longtime private retreat in Wiltshire, where she can enjoy a more informal life away from royal residences with her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n

According to English, Camilla \u201cmade very clear that she wanted to keep it.\u201d The decision has allowed the Queen to retain a space removed from the formality that inevitably comes with royal residences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real bolthole for her. It\u2019s very informal,\u201d English explained. Camilla can spend time there with her children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, as well as her grandchildren, while Charles is able to pursue his own interests at Highgrove.<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 David Jones – PA ImagesQueen Camilla’s private Ray Mill House in Wiltshire features an old mill pond surrounded by extensive gardens. The Queen has maintained the property since before her 2005 marriage to King Charles.<\/p>\n

Charles does sometimes visit Ray Mill, according to English, but he often spends his weekends at Highgrove, where he famously has a deep interest in the gardens and grounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey also live quite independent lives and I don\u2019t think it affects their relationship at all,\u201d English said.<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 Getty ImagesQueen Camilla complements King Charles with a striking red look at one of Britain’s most important royal events.<\/p>\n

The arrangement might also feel more natural to Charles and Camilla because independence was built into their relationship long before they became husband and wife. The pair spent years in one another’s lives before eventually marrying, meaning they were already accustomed to maintaining separate homes and routines.<\/p>\n

A place where Camilla\u2019s grandchildren can simply be themselves<\/p>\n

Royal biographer Robert Hardman has also explained why maintaining Ray Mill House has particular importance for Camilla\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

\"Queen\u00a9 PA ImagesQueen Camilla purchased Ray Mill House near Chippenham, Wiltshire, in the 1990s and chose to keep the private residence after marrying King Charles in 2005.<\/p>\n

Unlike a royal palace, the private residence gives her children and grandchildren somewhere they can relax without worrying about royal protocol or the historic surroundings.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer grandchildren need to have somewhere that they feel is theirs, where they can run around,\u201d Hardman said during the \u201cPalace Confidential\u201d discussion.<\/p>\n

\"A\u00a9 David Jones – PA ImagesA look inside one of the principal bedrooms at Ray Mill House, Queen Camilla’s private Wiltshire retreat, which she purchased in the 1990s following the end of her marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles.<\/p>\n

At their grandmother\u2019s house, he explained, the atmosphere is considerably more relaxed. \u201cWhen they\u2019re at Granny\u2019s house, it\u2019s Granny\u2019s house,\u201d Hardman said. \u201cEveryone can put on jeans and run around.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Camilla, the property therefore serves as more than simply a second residence. It offers a degree of normality for the family she had before becoming a senior member of the Royal Family and, eventually, Queen.<\/p>\n

Independence hasn’t weakened their bond<\/p>\n

Spending time apart certainly doesn’t appear to mean Charles and Camilla are emotionally distant.<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 Max Mumby\/IndigoKing Charles and Queen Camilla reportedly spend some weekends apart, with the King at Highgrove House and the Queen at Ray Mill House.<\/p>\n

Royal author Catherine Mayer explores their relationship in her 2026 book, \u201cDivide & Rule,\u201d describing the noticeable impact Camilla can have on the King when they are together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Camilla, you only need to see her and Charles together to understand that she has this\u2026magical effect on him,\u201d Mayer wrote. \u201cIt\u2019s transformative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The\u00a9 UK Press via Getty ImagesCamilla reportedly insisted on keeping Ray Mill House after marrying Charles, preserving a private space away from royal residences.<\/p>\n

Mayer recalled seeing Charles when he appeared tired or out of sorts, only for his demeanor to change once Camilla entered the room. \u201cHe would light up,\u201d she wrote. \u201cShe just lifts him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The author also writes that, following the turmoil surrounding the end of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana and Diana’s death in 1997, Camilla’s place in his life became \u201cnon-negotiable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"King\u00a9 Mark CuthbertQueen Camilla has maintained Ray Mill House, her private residence in Wiltshire, since before her marriage to King Charles.<\/p>\n

Mayer argues that Charles understood Camilla was the person who could \u201creally sustain him,\u201d highlighting the emotional support she has provided throughout their decades-long relationship.<\/p>\n

More than two decades after their 2005 wedding, their somewhat unconventional arrangement appears to reflect the relationship they have always had. Deeply connected, but comfortable giving each other space.<\/p>\n

\"Why\u00a9 WPA PoolKing Charles and Queen Camilla’s relationship stretches back decades before their 2005 wedding at Windsor Guildhall.<\/p>\n

For Charles, that might mean a weekend tending to the gardens at Highgrove. For Camilla, it can mean escaping royal formality at Ray Mill with her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n

It may be unusual for a King and Queen, but according to those who have followed their relationship closely, it works for them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"King Charles and Queen Camilla have been married for more than 20 years, but their approach to married…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":562956,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[40164,156,11018,111,139,69,11062,16196],"class_list":["post-562955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-british-royals","tag-entertainment","tag-king-charles","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-queen-camilla","tag-royals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=562955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/562955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/562956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=562955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=562955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=562955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}