Being Queen Camilla's son obviously comes with privileges, but apparently attending royal Christmas celebrations is not one of them. Tom Parker Bowles opened up to “People” about life as the King's stepson, and in that interview he admitted that he has never been to the traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham Manor.

“We are married, not a royal family,” he said of himself and his sister Laura Lopez, adding, “I never said that for one second.”

Nevertheless, Parker Bowles, 49, who recently published a royal cookbook titled Cooking And The Crown, said that while he finds the royal family “incredibly kind and friendly,” he leads a very different life. said he is not “running around the palace” with his children, Laura (17) and Freddie (14), who he shares with ex-wife Sarah Buis.

“For various reasons we haven't been to Christmas yet,” he said.

As for “various reasons,” it has been suggested that Prince William is not a big fan of Parker Bowles, with one source telling The Daily Beast in July that he should “avoid talking about Tom around William.” The source further said that Prince William is hesitant about his brother-in-law's “rather chic lifestyle as a Mayfair bon vivant.”

However, in a recent interview with British Vogue, the cookbook author said that as for William and Kate, “I absolutely love them both,” so perhaps he is staying away from the royal Christmas gathering for other reasons.

Speaking of other royals, the food critic told People magazine that Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice of York are “two of the nicest women you could ever hope to meet.”

“We live in 2024 and we are a blended family ... If they're happy, we're happy, and that's where it all starts,” he told People of his mother and stepfather.

Parker Bowles recently admitted that being Queen Camilla's son in the 1990s was “incredibly dangerous,” but revealed that, like many other families with divorced parents, he and his father customarily celebrate Christmas together.

“My mother and father are still great friends, and sometimes we go on December 27 and my mother comes over,” he told “People” about his parents, who divorced in the 1990s.

“It's something you work toward,” added Parker Bowles, who is divorced himself.

“Sometimes marriages don't work out, but if you can stay together for the kids and for each other, that's a very good thing.”