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Duchess Camilla reveals her favourite way to unwind at home with Prince Charles

Camilla opened up in an interview with Vogue


duchess of cornwall clarence house© Photo: Getty Images
Chloe Best
Lifestyle Features Editor
June 22, 2022
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The Duchess of Cornwall has opened up about her home life with Prince Charles, and revealed some of her favourite ways to relax after a busy day of work.

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Camilla, who is turning 75 in July, said that on the rare occasions she has some downtime on her own, it is her "idea of heaven" to relax in the countryside – likely at her Gloucestershire retreat, Highgrove House.

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"I would do a bit of gardening, go for a walk and then I'd sit down and read a book," Camilla told Vogue when asked what she likes to do when she's by herself. "It would be my idea of heaven, in the quiet of the countryside, where you can generally relax and properly think.

"I suppose what I'd think is, 'I'm quite lucky that I'm still around.'"

Duchess of Cornwall tree© Photo: Getty Images

The Duchess of Cornwall enjoys gardening on her own at home

The Duchess also opened up about how she spends time with Prince Charles when they're at home together, admitting that "it's not easy sometimes", due to their busy schedules.

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"Sometimes it's like ships passing in the night, but we always sit down together and have a cup of tea and discuss the day. We have a moment," Camilla said.

"It's lovely to catch up when we have a bit of time. You know when we go away, the nicest thing is that we actually sit and read our books in different corners of the same room."

Prince Charles Camilla laugh© Photo: Getty Images

Prince Charles and Camilla sit and read together at home

The Duchess continued: "It's very relaxing because you know you don't have to make conversation. You just sit and be together."

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Camilla has a great love of reading, and launched her online book club, The Duchess of Cornwall's Reading Room, during one of the coronavirus lockdowns, so it is little surprise she cites sitting down with a book as one of her favourite things to do.

Meanwhile, gardening is a long-held passion of both Charles and Camilla's, and the couple have their own vegetable gardens both at Clarence House and Highgrove, where they grow their own organic fruit and vegetables.

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