prince charles camilla ireland© Photo: Getty Images

Duchess Camilla reveals one of her favourite features at home with Prince Charles

The royal couple divide their time between Clarence House and Highgrove

Lifestyle Features Editor
May 11, 2022

The Duchess of Cornwall has revealed a rare insight into her home life with Prince Charles, saying that they enjoy gardening and are "quite competitive" about what fruit and vegetables they can grow.

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Speaking to her son Tom Parker Bowles about her relationship with food for Mail on Sunday's You Magazine, Camilla said the vegetables they grow often feature in their meals, which she still cooks herself.

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Giving an insight into the range of vegetables they have grown, Camilla shared: "I do still cook for myself when at home. Simple things like fish en papillote with butter and herbs. And vegetables from the garden: kale, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, courgettes, and lots of peas and beans because they freeze so well."

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The Duchess added: "I love the vegetable garden, and summer in particular. I'm very proud of my white peaches. My husband is an excellent gardener, and we're quite competitive about our fruit and vegetables."

The royals have vegetable gardens at both Clarence House and Highgrove

Prince Charles has always been a keen gardener, and it appears he has shared the passion with his wife. The couple have a vegetable garden at their official London residence, Clarence House, along with a Kitchen Garden at the Highgrove Estate, which allows them to be completely self-sufficient with fruit and vegetables.

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The couple revealed a look at their fruit and vegetable gardens on social media in a post to mark Organic September in 2020, revealing a vast array of fresh produce including "Red Currant tomatoes, Queensland Blue squash, runner beans, peppers and kumquats".

© Photo: Rex

The Highgrove Estate is completely self-sufficient for fruit and vegetables

Meanwhile, at Dumfries House, a Scottish residence Prince Charles has owned since 2007, there is a vegetable garden that has been planted in the shape of a Union Jack flag.

The one-acre walled garden, which is known as the Pierburg Building And Kauffman Education Gardens, features small diagonal paths weaving through the green produce while a small building sits in the centre.

According to the website, it aims to provide an introduction to gardening, food production and the use of fresh produce as a link to healthy eating for primary and secondary school pupils.

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