It was the “divorce home” Queen Camilla famously purchased after her split from her first husband Andrew Parker Bowles.
But last week eyebrows were raised and chatter ignited when the queen, 78, discreetly transferred the ownership of Ray Mill house, her beloved sanctuary, to her son Tom Parker Bowles and daughter Laura Lopes – a move Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on.
MONEY PROBLEMS
“Everyone is hoping Camilla is simply making a move for tax reasons but there have been rumours about Charles and Camilla’s marriage for a while,” says a palace insider.
Of course, it could also be due to the increase in interest in palace finances as the police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continues.
“Andrew’s situation, especially if he files for bankruptcy, does have the potential to lead to Charles’ personal financial records becoming court-ordered production material.
“Andrew being forced to disclose every asset, liability and transaction, including the terms of his 2022 ‘loan’ from his mother and brother.
“Creditors will demand documentary evidence, which pulls bank transfers, trust documents, duchy accounts and correspondence with Charles,” says the royal source.
“This could be the perfect storm that crowbars opens the royal purse, so it’s no surprise to see Camilla transferring her assets over to her children.
“She’ll do anything to protect them from any blowback should the worst happen, but this house-swap has also fuelled ongoing rumours she and Charles are heading for a divorce.”
SECRET DEAL
Last year rumours of marital unrest gathered pace, with The Sun revealing the couple sleep in separate bedrooms and “spend quite a lot of time apart” with the queen retreating each weekend to Ray Mill to be with her children and grandchildren, while Charles, 77, is often at his beloved Highgrove.
The agreement for Camilla to have a separate bolthole was part of a pact they made before they married, so she could have somewhere where she could “not be a royal”.
“Camilla has days when she wishes she and Charles had never been crowned. They’ve had such a terrible time with Harry and losing the Queen, but since their coronation it’s been hell,” says the source.
“Of course his diagnosis took over everything and their relationship hasn’t been able to evolve from the carer-patient dynamic. Camilla feels she’s been relegated to being trotted out to make Charles look good. She loves him, but wonders if the magic has gone.”
With everything that’s going on, it’s hardly surprising that their marriage is under strain.
“He’s also famously irritable so she feels she can’t put a foot right at the moment with everything that’s happening with Andrew.
“The entire monarchy’s at stake and with Camilla one foot out the door, Charles doesn’t seem interested in making his marriage a priority right now. But if it’s true and she’s replanning her estate in anticipation of a divorce, he might be forced to deal with it sooner rather than later.”
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