The bond between King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, may be weaker than it appears.
According to a royal insider close to the monarch, King Charles and his wife lead “largely separate lives” amid his health battle, and their public displays of unity are “for optics only.”
For those who are not aware, the 76-year-old King is battling an undisclosed form of cancer that was diagnosed earlier this year.
“They are putting on a united front in public, especially because Charles is ill, but behind the scenes it’s a very different picture,” a source told Radaronline.
“They are divorced in everything but name,” the insider claimed.
“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.”
It is worth noting that Camilla purchased the $1.2 million Ray Mill estate in 1994 after separating from her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.
A source close to her family revealed, “For Camilla, Ray Mill is much more than just a house.”
In her estate, “she feels free from the demands of royal life.”
The family friend added, “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.”
