King Charles and Queen Camilla may be very happily married, but there is one hobby they share that they are "deeply competitive" about, according to Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles.
The revelation was made in Tom's new cookbook, Cooking and the Crown, which explores royal-inspired recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles. During the introduction of his fresh pappardelle with porcini mushrooms recipe, Tom revealed that Charles and Camilla are "deeply competitive" about their mushroom hauls, a hobby Charles has enjoyed for years.
Tom penned: “Wild mushrooms are somewhat of an obsession, with Charles III and Queen Camilla deeply competitive about their hauls."
The author previously gushed about King Charles' environmentally friendly approach to food, explaining: "His Majesty The King is a true food hero. There is nothing he doesn’t know about rare breeds of cattle, heritage varieties of plum and apple, the joys of mutton and wild mushrooms, and the oozing allure of a stinky cheese.
"Every monarch has had their own tastes and preferences, and the King’s interest in sustainable, regenerative farming is well known, and was way ahead of its time. His advice is invaluable, his knowledge profound."
Food critic Tom, who was raised by the now-Queen and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, recently revealed that Camilla enforced a rather "strict" diet growing up.
"We grew up eating locally, seasonally and organically, way before they became the overused buzzwords they are today – my mother shopped at the butcher, fishmonger, bakery, and greengrocer," he explained in an interview with You magazine.
Despite enjoying some processed foods, Tom admitted they were kept to a minimum in his household. But his mother, whom he praised as a "good cook", limited what they were allowed.
"But when Sainsbury’s opened in Chippenham at the start of the '80s, it was like that moment in The Wizard of Oz where it moves from monochrome to technicolour.
He added: "Ice Magic! Birds Eye Chicken Pies! Butterscotch Angel Delight! And huge variety packs of Monster Munch! We wanted it all, although my mother was fairly strict about what we were allowed."