Queen Camilla famously lives with King Charles at Clarence House in London, but before the pair tied the knot in 2005, Camilla purchased a pad of her own in leafy Wiltshire.
The residence was Ray Mill House, situated in Lacock. It was a home that Camilla purchased in 1996 following her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles and somewhere that she called home until she moved in with the King in 2003, keeping her country home as a retreat until recently.
As detailed in Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential, which revealed that Ray Mill House had been “discreetly transferred” last week. Land Registry documents list the new registered owners as her son-in-law, Harry Lopes, and the financier Jake Irwin, who reportedly represent his wife, Queen Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes, and her son, Tom Parker Bowles, respectively.
© Getty ImagesWhile it remained under the guardianship of her relatives, Camilla made a quiet trip back to the property in 2022 following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. While the country mourned the late monarch, her daughter-in-law reportedly retreated to her countryside haven for a period of private mourning of her own.
However, the home does have some happy memories attached to it. It signalled a fresh chapter following her divorce and played host to her daughter Laura and son-in-law Harry’s wedding reception in 2006.
Queen Camilla’s royal chapter at Clarence House
Camilla relocated to London to live at Clarence House in 2003. King Charles, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, had only moved into the royal residence the year before. He upped sticks from his home at York House, which is part of St James’ Palace, following the death of the Queen Mother, who lived at Clarence House from 1953 until her death in March 2002.
© Getty ImagesThe move was a significant step in their relationship as they moved in together prior to their marriage, which took place in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall in 2005. Camilla’s new residence was certainly an upgrade from charming Ray Mill House.
Royal memories at Clarence House
It sits over three storeys and once featured a bedroom for Prince Harry. It was in the prince’s tell-all memoir, Spare, that he opened up about the repurposing of the room into a dressing room for his stepmother. “I tried not to care. But especially the first time I saw it, I cared,” he wrote.
© Getty ImagesHarry also recalled introducing his wife, Meghan Markle, to his father at the estate, remembering how when they drove into Clarence House, “the lush gardens…made Meg gasp.”
© The Print Collector / Alamy Stock PhotoInterior designer Robert Kime, who was commissioned by Charles to redecorate some of the rooms ahead of his move into Clarence House, said previously: “The other thing that always strikes you when you are inside the house is how much the garden is present – many of the rooms look out into the garden and there is a sense of it almost like an extra room to the house.”
Read the full article here
