Exclusive: Tom Parker Bowles reveals 'health kick' ahead of turning 50
As a renowned food-lover, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, leads a lavish life when it comes to his eating habits.
However, in an exclusive chat with HELLO!, the 49-year-old revealed that as his 50th birthday approaches, he has overhauled his lifestyle, opting for a far more restrained approach to eating and drinking.
The author shared his milestone birthday nears, he is drinking and eating less and doing Pilates classes. "Everyone else is 20 and toned and chiselled," he said of his fellow Pilates attendees. "Sometimes I'm the only bloke there, so I sit in the corner."
His lifestyle overhaul sees Tom follow in the footsteps of his health-conscious mother, with the author sharing the image of Queen Camilla as a heavy drinker and smoker couldn't be further from the truth.
"I've never seen [my mother] merry, [she] doesn't drink gin and hasn't smoked for many years," he says.
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Queen Camilla's lifestyle overhaul
Indeed, King Charles III's wife reportedly smoked 10 cigarettes a day until 2001, when a health scare prompted her to quit smoking for good.
At the time, The Daily Mailreported that it was Queen Consort Camilla's rhinitis (where your nose gets irritated by something you're allergic to, causing persistent coughing and sneezing) that helped her make the decision to give up cigarettes.
Prior to quitting smoking in 2001, the royal was a regular smoker. Reportedly, she was addicted to the habit for 30 years before she managed to stop smoking near the turn of the millennium.
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Some reports have also suggested that in addition to concerns for her own health, Camilla also gave up smoking for her husband, Charles, as he was not a fan of the habit.
King Charles' official royal website even once addressed the fact that Camilla used to be a smoker in its FAQ section. It read: "The Duchess of Cornwall [now Queen Consort] gave up smoking many years ago."
The Queen Consort reportedly tried to quit smoking by going on a trek to the Himalayas to 're-energise' her spirits.
The trip was hosted by Dr. Mosaraf Ali, a health guru favoured by King Charles at the time. Queen Camilla, who was 53 at the time, was said to be a regular visitor to Dr. Ali's London practice, where she was encouraged to take up yoga both to combat back pain and to help her give up smoking.
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We're glad to hear Tom is following in his mother's health-conscious footsteps.
To read the full interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK now. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
