KING Charles has forked out £3million for a property next to Queen Camilla’s beloved Wiltshire retreat to prevent it becoming a wedding venue.
The purchase was made to help maintain Camilla’s privacy at her personal pad, Ray Mill, where she sneaks off to watch Corrie with a G&T.
King Charles has bought the £3million home next to Queen Camilla to prevent it becoming a wedding venue[/caption]
King Charles has reportedly bought Old Mill using personal funds[/caption]
The Mail on Sunday reported how the monarch has bought the neighboring four-bedroom home – named the Old Mill – which is located along the river Avon.
A royal source claimed Camilla had “great anxiety” over proposal plans to convert the home into a wedding venue, particularly as its boundary lies just 30ft away from her house.
A potential buyer was said to be keen to “maximise commercial use of the property as a short-term holiday rental and wedding venue.”
The source stated: “Think of it – dozens of wedding guests carousing every weekend just the other side of her fence.”
To prevent this from happening, King Charles is understood to have purchased the home using private funds.
He will now reportedly find a “security-vetted tenant” who will put the home to “appropriate” use.
The historic Old Mill pad, which dates back to the Norman Conquest, has two en suite bathrooms, two other bathrooms, and three reception rooms.
According to the listing brochure, it’s “set in the most idyllic position with breathtaking views of the river Avon and surrounding countryside.
“This enviable position offers great potential with low head water turbines providing an income, set within approximately two acres”.
King Charles and Queen Camilla typically reside at Clarence House in London – but Camilla often visits her home in the country.
Camilla bought the 17-acre Ray Mill in Wiltshire after her divorce from Andrew Parker-Bowles in 1994, and reportedly still uses it today when she needs to have some down time.
According to the Express, a source said: “At Ray Mill she can sit down with a big G&T, kick off her shoes and watch Coronation Street, which Charles loathes.
“She also doesn’t have to bother about how the place looks – Charles is so fussy about tidiness, while she leaves her stuff all over the place.
“She doesn’t need her cushions plumped all the time.”
Another pal previously said: “That house is where she can cook scrambled eggs in her dressing gown and be among those she loves with not a jot of ceremony or anyone looking at her. It is home.”
Camilla is said to have had ‘anxiety’ over the neighbouring property plans[/caption]
The home boasts a terrace, stables and incredible gardens[/caption]
Camilla’s secret retreat
Camilla paid £850,000 for the countryside bolthole, which has many luxury features, including an outdoor swimming pool, terrace, stables and incredible gardens.
It was her main home from 1996 to 2003, and it is situated just 15 minutes from one of King Charles’ favourite homes, Highgrove.
Royal fans got a sneak peek at Ray Mill as it served as a backdrop for portraits taken of the Queen to celebrate her 75th birthday.
It was also where Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes hosted her wedding reception when she tied the knot with Harry Lopes in 2006.
Interior design expert Deepa Mehta-Sagar and founder of Area Decor LLC in Dubai said: “Reportedly, this is where the Queen spends time with her children and grandchildren, away from the public gaze.
“The Queen has always loved outdoor pursuits and is passionate about gardening.
“In this, the lush, enormous gardens at Wiltshire, far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, are an ode to her.”
Floral curtains, yellow painted walls and patterned staircases ensure the true age of the home is maintained.
A huge outdoor balcony looks out onto the grounds – which was once home to sheep and other animals.
The bathroom hasn’t been modernised as it still has blue china for the sink, toilet and bath.
Your Queen Camilla questions answered
- Who is Queen Camilla and when did she marry King Charles III?
- Who are Queen Camilla’s children?
- What was Camilla like in her 20s?
- What is the Koh-i-Noor diamond in Queen Camilla’s crown worth and why is it controversial?
- Who is Camilla’s son Tom Parker-Bowles?
- Inside very ordinary lives of Queen Camilla’s kids – Model hubby to Masterchef star Tom Parker Bowles’ split from wife
- Who was Tom Parker-Bowles’ late girlfriend Alice Procope?
- Who plays Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown?
Camilla’s former roommate Virginia Carrington told of the Queen’s messy tendencies.
In Jessica Jayne’s book ‘The Duchess Of Cornwall: Camilla’s Story And Secrets’, Virginia said: “On coming home, she would just drop her clothes on the floor and leave them. Camilla’s bedroom always looked like a bomb had hit it.”
While Gyles Brandreth added: “Virginia was fairly tidy and organised and Camilla drove her nuts, in the nicest possible way.
“Virginia once told me: ‘You know, Camilla has this inability to hang anything up on a hanger. And she has an aversion to cleaning fluids of any description.
“You should see the state of the bathroom when she’s been in it’.”
Ray Mill is is situated just 15 minutes from one of King Charles’ favourite homes, Highgrove[/caption]
