Queen Camilla's Son Shares a Rare Update on King Charles' Cancer Treatment

Tom Parker Bowles described his mother as "tough" while coping with Charles' diagnosis.

Queen Camilla wearing a royal blue dress and matching hat smiling with King Charles who is wearing a blue suit and a blue and white polka dot tie
(Image credit: Getty Images/Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor)

Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, has shared a rare health update about King Charles III's cancer treatment. The food critic reportedly made the revelation while promoting his new book, Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III.

According to the Express, Parker Bowles shared the personal news at an event, saying that the King's "doctor says the treatment is going well." Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, and has made a return to official royal duties since then.

Parker Bowles also revealed how his mom, Queen Camilla, had been dealing with the diagnosis, saying, "She's tough, my mother."

Ahead of the release of his book, Parker Bowles wrote an article for the Daily Mail, in which he discussed King Charles and Queen Camilla's food preferences.

"There is no man who knows more about food and farming, from the best of British cheeses, through rare breeds of sheep and cow, to heritage varieties of plum, apple and pear, than the King," Bowles wrote, before calling his stepfather "a true food hero."

King Charles visits Southport and is given flowers by a stranger in the crowd

King Charles visits Southport.

(Image credit: Paul Ellis - WPA Pool/Peter Powell/AFP/Getty Images)

Parker Bowles shared that his mother and stepfather regularly eat healthy meals.

"Today, though, with the exception of state banquets and official dinners, The King and Queen eat simple, healthy and resolutely seasonal food, whether they're at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham or Balmoral," he wrote for the publication. "Their chefs, under the expert control of Royal Chef Mark Flanagan, travel with them."

As a big fan of sustainability, King Charles ensures "there is no waste at his table," and "has long talked about the importance of sustainable ­agriculture," Queen Camilla's son explained.

"Just like the sovereigns before him, his kitchens are filled with the seasonal bounty of the royal estates and gardens, from game, beef and lamb, to peas, strawberries, raspberries and chard," Parker Bowles revealed. "That, along with state banquets, and the importance of tea as a mid-afternoon meal, is a tradition that has endured through the ages."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.