The Secret to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Longstanding Marriage? Separate Bedrooms

Marriage is tough, and every couple is different and employs different techniques and strategies to make it work. Fraught with controversy though it may at times have been, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s relationship has, indeed, stood the test of time, with the two being in love with one another essentially since the early 1970s, and married for 18 years and counting.

The Daily Express has the secret for what makes their marriage work, and it’s a little unconventional. Charles and Camilla have opted, so far anyway, to not reside in Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the monarch. (They also don’t reside in Windsor Castle, where Her late Majesty spent ample time.) They still call Clarence House home, where they have lived for many years. They also have several other properties they can escape to when they need a break from their work—and, lovingly said, each other. Inside Clarence House, the outlet reports, the couple have three bedrooms: One for the King, one for the Queen, and one they share—which hey, if you can do it, isn’t an entirely bad idea.

Married members of the royal family traditionally have separate bedrooms, interestingly enough. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did (not just in separate bedrooms, but in entirely different wings), as did the Prince and Princess of Wales when they were still living at Kensington Palace. And Charles’ need for his own bed doesn’t boil down to anything sinister—it actually comes down to his health. The King has chronic back pain, and sleeping alone is said to help ease it.

Additionally, royal expert Joshua Rom cites the couple’s hectic schedules for their love of separate bedrooms, adding that they prefer to relax separately. The two sleep apart not just at Clarence House but also their country home, Highgrove; Camilla is said to have her own room there but doesn’t spend a ton of time there, preferring Ray Mill instead, where she has family close by.

Sleeping separately is reportedly the secret to the King and Queen’s long-lasting marriage, a friend said, because it allows them to have their own designated space and also a shared space for when they want to use it.

“[His Royal Highness] has a room with a double bed, decorated to his own taste, then Camilla has her own room with a double bed, decorated just the way she likes it,” a source said. “In addition, they have a shared bedroom with a double bed that they can use whenever they like. The arrangement suits them perfectly.”