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British Royals

How Queen Elizabeth II stopped a cheeky cigarette break at an historic royal wedding

Queen Elizabeth II

They were two of the guests of honour at one of the most historic of royal weddings but they were still stopped in their tracks as they attempted to pop outside for a quick smoke.

Tom Parker Bowles and his sister, Laura, were in the middle of the celebrations marking the marriage of their mother, Queen Camilla, to Charles III when they decided they wouldn’t mind a cheeky cigarette break.

However, as they snuck through the corridors of Windsor Castle, a rather familiar voice brought a halt to their adventure.

Queen Elizabeth II was right behind them and asked ”are you lost?”

The anecdote has been recounted by Tom Parker Bowles in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. He told the paper he only met the late Queen twice in his life. The first time, he was still a small child and got so confused that he curtseyed to her. The second occasion was at the marriage of Charles and Camilla who wed legally at Windsor Guildhall and then had a religious blessing at St. George’s Chapel followed by a reception at Windsor Castle.

Queen Elizabeth II didn’t attend the civil marriage ceremony, the first time an heir to the throne had wed outside of church law, but she was present at the blessing and the party, delivering a famously witty and warm speech to welcome her new daughter-in-law to the Royal Family.

However, she seemed less keen on the bride’s two adult children sneaking out of the reception. Tom Parker Bowles doesn’t reveal what happened next but the tone of the question implies Elizabeth II may not have been entirely amused by the idea.

Tom Parker Bowles also revealed that he is more than likely to join the Royal Family for Christmas as his mother, Queen Camilla, is very keen to have him with her during the festive season after a difficult year in which King Charles has been treated for cancer and her own health has been hit by a bout of pneumonia.

However, whether cigarette breaks will take place at Sandringham wasn’t revealed.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.