Just as King Charles reunited with his estranged son, Prince Harry, rumors are swirling about his relationship issues with another member of the British royal family: his own wife Queen Camilla.
A source told Radar Online on September 12 that the couple, who got married in 2005, are “divorced in everything but name” as the two lead “largely separate lives” to “keep up with appearances.” “They are putting on a united front in public, especially because Charles is ill, but behind the scenes it’s a very different picture,” the source said.
While Camilla has joined Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in 2024, for several public appearances, the source claimed that the couple spend much of their private time apart, with Camilla living in her long-owned home at Ray Mill House in Wiltshire while Charles resides at Clarence House.
“They are divorced in everything but name. Camilla lives at Ray Mill most of the time, while Charles retreats to Highgrove or Clarence House. It’s a marriage of appearances and public relations optics at this stage,” the insider said.
Camilla purchased Ray House for $1.2 million in 1994 following her divorce from her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, whom she left Charles for. While she moved into Clarence House in 2005, she’s always kept her Wiltshire home, which comes with a swimming pool, sprawling gardens and is often used as a home base for her children and grandchildren. Radar Online’s source also described it as a “world away from the pressures of the crown.”
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“For Camilla, Ray Mill is much more than just a house,” the inside said. “It’s where she feels free from the demands of royal life. She’s always held on to it because it symbolizes her independence, and that sense of freedom has only deepened as her marriage to Charles has gone on.”
Camilla isn’t the only one with a “retreat,” however. The source also claimed that Charles views his residence at Highgrove in Gloucestershire his own estate away from royal life. “Right from the start, they agreed they each needed their own retreats,” the insider said. “At first, it was what kept the marriage balanced, but now it seems less like a mutual decision and more like proof of how separate their lives have become.”
The source went on to add that, while Charles and Camilla may have an unconventional marriage, Camilla is still supportive of her husband amid his health issues. “They remain committed in their own way, but it’s not the kind of marriage most people would recognize,” the insider said. “Charles is absorbed in his health and responsibilities, while Camilla prioritizes her time at Ray Mill. At this point, it’s the crown that binds them – not the relationship itself.”