King Charles and Queen Camilla have a happy marriage, but there’s one hobby they get really competitive about, according to Camilla’s son, Tom Parker Bowles. In his new cookbook, Cooking and the Crown, which features royal-inspired recipes, Tom shared that the couple loves collecting mushrooms and are very competitive about who finds the most. King Charles has enjoyed this hobby for years, and now it’s something they both take seriously! Tom revealed this while introducing his recipe for fresh pappardelle with porcini mushrooms.
Tom wrote that King Charles and Queen Camilla are “obsessed” with collecting wild mushrooms and are very competitive about how much they find. He also praised King Charles for his eco-friendly approach to food, calling him a “true food hero.” According to Tom, the King knows a lot about rare types of cattle, old varieties of plums and apples, the benefits of mutton, wild mushrooms, and even the strong appeal of smelly cheese!
Every monarch has their own favorite foods and habits, and King Charles is known for his passion for sustainable, eco-friendly farming. He’s been focused on this long before it became popular, and his advice is very valuable because of how much he knows.
Tom, a food critic who grew up with Queen Camilla and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, recently shared that Camilla was strict about food when he was a child, making sure he followed a healthy diet.
In an interview, Tom shared that he grew up eating food that was local, seasonal, and organic, long before those terms became popular. His mother, Queen Camilla, would shop at small, local stores like the butcher, fishmonger, bakery, and greengrocer. Although Tom liked some processed foods, they were rare in his home. He also said his mother, who he praised as a “good cook,” kept a close eye on what they were allowed to eat.
Tom joked that when a Sainsbury’s supermarket opened in Chippenham in the early ’80s, it felt like everything changed from black-and-white to full color, just like in The Wizard of Oz. Suddenly, there were exciting foods like Ice Magic, Birds Eye Chicken Pies, Butterscotch Angel Delight, and big packs of Monster Munch. He and his siblings wanted to try it all, but his mother, Queen Camilla, was still pretty strict about what they could eat.
The she-wolf visited the village seeking food, and the forester, moved by her plight, offered help. Two months later, she returned, bringing company with her
On one particularly cold day, Forester Stephen was sitting in his house enjoying a cup of tea when an unfamiliar noise caught his attention. It came from under his fence and had the unmistakable growl of a wild animal.
Curious and concerned, Stephen went outside to investigate. After a moment’s thought, he decided to bring out some frozen meat, realising that the harsh cold was making it difficult for wildlife to find food. He knew this was particularly difficult for both the animals and local families.
The wild animal’s behavior seemed strange to Stephen. Wolves usually stay in their own territory and rarely venture into human settlements unless they are driven by extreme hunger.
Soon the she-wolf began to appear frequently at Stephen’s home. The locals became increasingly agitated and criticized Stephen for his actions. They were worried about the presence of a wolf so close to the village and left their children in the safety of their homes.
Despite growing pressure from his neighbors, Stephen ignored her complaints and continued to feed the wolf, realizing that a hungry wolf could pose a greater threat to everyone.
As winter ended, the wolf’s visits stopped, much to the relief of the villagers. But Stephen missed her presence, as he had become accustomed to her visits.
Spring arrived, bringing with it the familiar howling. Stephen rushed outside to find an unexpected sight: the she-wolf had brought her two pups with her. The animals watched him quietly, and it dawned on Stephen that the meat he had provided all winter was being used to feed their young.
With the arrival of spring, the wolf pack prepared to move to a new territory to ensure that they would no longer cause trouble to the villagers. The she-wolf said goodbye to Stephen in silence and from that moment on, no more wolves were seen in the area.
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