Tom Parker Bowles has been a member of a family with an unusual past since 2005. Andrew Parker Bowles and Camilla Shand, who went on to become the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, were Tom’s parents, and his childhood was shaped by the complicated dynamics between their relationship and his royal links.
After her first marriage to Tom’s father ended in divorce, Camilla married Andrew in 1973, marking the beginning of her path into royalty. Tom and his sister Laura Lopes believe they are regular people, unaffected by their mother’s royal status, even though Camilla has royal relations.
Tom was raised with a combination of royal ties and family heritage.
His mother, Camilla, moved from the West End working world to the royal realm when she was born in 1947. She was the daughter of Major Bruce Shand and Rosalind Cubitt. Tom was one of Camilla’s children, and he grew up feeling normal despite her royal ties.
Tom himself went into food journalism, using his love of food to further his writing career. Along the way, he married fashion editor Sara Buys in 2005; even after their 2018 divorce, they still get along well.
Laura Lopes, Tom’s sister, also followed her career path in the art industry, working her way up to become a curator and co-founding Eleven Fine Art Gallery in London.
Her union with former model Harry Lopes broadened the family’s cultural background even further.
Tom and Laura keep a grounded viewpoint, referring to themselves as “common children,” despite their mother’s royal rank. They do, however, have a strong relationship with King Charles III, their stepfather, whom Tom finds endearing and human.
