Queen Camilla's son, food critic Tom Parker Bowles, recently provided a rare glimpse into the royal family's holiday gift-giving traditions, revealing his surprisingly specific and practical go-to present for his stepfather, King Charles III (Entertainment Daily).

Parker Bowles, 50, spoke at the Good Housekeeping Live with Country Living Christmas Market in partnership with L’Oréal Paris, where he detailed the shared culinary interest that dictates his annual Christmas purchase for the monarch.

The King's Simple Pleasure: Olive Oil 🌿

Despite the King's access to extraordinary luxury, Parker Bowles revealed that Charles is a significant "foodie" with a particular appreciation for fresh ingredients. For this reason, his reliable Christmas gift for King Charles is a bottle of "really nice olive oil".¹

"He referred to Charles as his 'stepfather' at the event, and revealed that he is actually a really big foodie," the article states. The food critic explained that he has been able to refine his present choices over the years based on this shared passion.²

Camilla: The Harder Gifter to Please 🤔

While King Charles is relatively easy to buy for, Parker Bowles admitted that finding the perfect gift for his mother, Queen Camilla, presents a greater challenge.

"My mother likes books a lot. But she reads a lot, so I rarely can find one she hasn’t read," he explained to the audience. He noted that his default options are usually "books on occasion, but that is difficult. Or photographs of the dogs or children" (Entertainment Daily).

He also shared a heartwarming detail, admitting that even at 50 years old, Queen Camilla still provides him with a Christmas stocking.³ "I still get a stocking from my mother. It’s mainly pants and socks and things," he joked.

A Fond Relationship with "The Loveliest Man" ❤️

Parker Bowles has consistently spoken warmly about his relationship with King Charles, which began when his mother married the then-Prince of Wales in 2005.⁴

In 2015, years before the King's ascension, Parker Bowles told A Current Affair (as reported by HELLO! magazine), "All you care about for your parents is they are happy.⁵ And my mother is exceptionally happy at the moment." He added, "I have always adored my stepfather.⁶ He has always been a kind and good and lovely man. He is a man of warmth, intelligence and humanity.⁷ I think that if it ever happens, he will make a fantastic king."

More recently, in an article for The Telegraph last year, Parker Bowles described the King as "the loveliest man in the world" and detailed his casual visits to the royal residences. He revealed that he possesses a special high-security card to gain access, though his visits remain relatively normal. "We say hi and have a cup of tea. For the kids, that’s entirely normal," he wrote.

His continued praise and the small, personal nature of the olive oil gift underscore the close and affectionate bond between the stepson and the King, rooted in mutual respect and, apparently, a love of fine food.

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