Behind the closed doors of Highgrove, Birkhall, Balmoral, or Ray Mill House, the King and Queen are protected from the prying eyes of the public. Inside these stately homes, the Royal Family can relax and truly be themselves. According to former head gardener Jack Stooks, Queen Camilla carries on quite the social life in the privacy of her own home, but the King can’t seem to switch off.
“I think Camilla is quite social,” Stooks revealed to Smooth Spins. Queen Camilla has her own country home, Ray Mill House, tucked away in Wiltshire. She has owned the impressive stately home since 1994, when she divorced her first husband and bought Ray Mill as her own single girl Barbie Dream House. Since then, it’s been a haven. “She's got a lot of her friends and her family that she likes to see and spends a lot of time with her sister,” Stooks shared.
“She's quite a social character in that sense,” the former head gardener revealed, sharing that Queen Camilla is regularly hosting or spending time with friends and family. “Whenever you see her at events, she's very sociable with the people she's with.” Even without guests staying with them at Birkhall or Ray Mill House, the King and Queen are happy to simply chat to each other. “They're very comfortable in each other's company, and they sort of seem to fit so perfectly together,” Stooks shared. “He obviously dotes on her, and she dotes on him.”
While Queen Camilla loves hosting and socializing, the King has different priorities. “The King is warm and friendly and he is a lovable person, but I think he puts a lot of his work first,” said Stooks. “That's not a bad thing. That’s just something he’s been brought up to do.” While Queen Camilla enjoys her downtime, reading or walking the dogs, King Charles has been known to be late for dinner or work into the wee hours with his infamous red box. “He has that work ethic. I wouldn’t say he’s less sociable, but he’s aware of the amount of work he’s trying to do for the country.”
