King Charles has been praised for a surprisingly playful side after Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles revealed the special way the monarch entertained his grandchildren.
The King is often associated with formal royal duties and the responsibilities of the Crown, but Tom’s account offered a glimpse of a much more relaxed side of Charles when spending time with younger members of the family.
Charles is a grandfather to five grandchildren through his two sons, with Prince William and Princess Kate’s children George, Charlotte and Louis making up one side of the family.
He is also grandfather to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie and Lilibet, although their relationship with the Sussexes has developed amid the wider difficulties between Harry and the Royal Family.
The latest insight into Charles’s relationship with younger members of the family came from Tom Parker Bowles during an interview with the Press and Journal.
Tom recalled how his mother, Queen Camilla, used to read stories to him and his siblings when they were children, describing her as an animated reader who would attempt different voices.
However, he suggested that Charles had a particular talent for bringing stories to life when reading to children.
Tom revealed that the King would read the Harry Potter books to his grandchildren and would perform the different characters’ voices while telling the stories.
“The King used to do it with [the] Harry Potter [books] with my children, and my nephew and nieces,” Tom said.
“He would sit with them, reading, and he really is a good actor,” he added, highlighting a side of Charles that is rarely seen during his public duties.
Tom explained that while Camilla was a good reader, she was not necessarily a natural performer when it came to acting out characters.
By contrast, he said Charles would take on the different voices in the Harry Potter stories, turning the reading sessions into something more theatrical for the children.
Tom described the memory as “special”, offering a personal insight into the King’s relationship with his wider family.
The anecdote also provides a different picture of Charles from the formal image often associated with his role as monarch, showing that he can become animated and playful when spending time with younger relatives.
It is unclear whether Archie and Lilibet have experienced the same Harry Potter reading tradition with their grandfather, as Tom’s comments specifically referred to his own children and the King’s nephew and nieces.
The account nevertheless adds to the picture of Charles as a grandfather who can enjoy relaxed family moments away from the demands of royal life.
Charles’s relationship with his grandchildren has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of the geographical distance between the King and Harry and Meghan’s children.
While the Sussexes have built their family life largely in the United States, the couple have also spent periods in Britain, creating opportunities for Archie and Lilibet to spend time with members of their extended family.
For now, Tom’s story offers one of the more personal glimpses of Charles in his role as a grandfather, with his willingness to perform every Harry Potter voice providing a memorable example of the playful side of the King that exists away from official royal duties.
