Tom Parker Bowles expertly dodged a question about his stepbrother, Prince Harry, during an appearance on “The News Agents” podcast with Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis last week.
The food writer and critic, who is the son of the former Camilla Parker Bowles, was asked by Maitlis if “there’s a panic about whether Harry would come or not” to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation, which takes place on May 6.
Parker Bowles replied that the decision had “nothing to do with me,” before jokingly saying he and his son were concerned about whether Harry Kane, captain of England’s national team, was coming to the coronation.
The 48-year-old also defended his mother from those that may speculate that she always wanted to be queen.
“I think change happens, but I don’t care what anyone says, this wasn’t any sort of end game,” the writer said. “She married the person she loved and this is what happened.”
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Maitlis ― a journalist who conducted the infamous Prince Andrew interview in 2019 that led to him stepping back as a working royal ― also asked Parker Bowles if it was “weird” to think of his mother as queen.
“Not really because she’s still our mother,” Parker Bowles answered. “I say ‘our’ but not the royal ‘we,’ speaking for my sister [Laura Lopes] and me. She’s our mother.”
And despite his mother’s new title, Parker Bowles insisted he will not be given one of his own.
“I become nothing,” the writer said with a laugh. “There’d be revolution if they started handing it out to people like me… You’re not going to find us with great estates, being called the ‘duke of whatever.’ No, that would be appalling.”
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He also defended those who may protest at the coronation ― like the anti-monarchy group, Republic ― telling the podcast hosts that “everyone has the right to think what they want.”
“You know, going back to Extinction Rebellion and Animal Rebellion and Republic and whatever it is, everyone has a right to their say,” he said. “We live in, thankfully, a free country.”
He added that “if people want to protest that’s their right to do so.”
Charles’ coronation will be held at Westminster Abbey next month, though he became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died in September of last year.
Buckingham Palace recently revealed that the Duke of Sussex will be in attendance at the ceremony, while Meghan Markle will remain in California, as it is the couple’s son Archie’s fourth birthday.