EXCLUSIVE: King Charles and Camilla 'Divorce' Shock — How Queen Secretly Lives Apart From Cancer-Stricken Monarch Husband in $1.2Million Marriage-Split Home
Camilla is believed to no be living under the same roof as King Charles.
Sept. 12 2025, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
King Charles and Queen Camilla are "divorced in everything but name," sources tell RadarOnline.com.
Friends claim the couple now lead "largely separate lives" despite continuing to appear together during the monarch's cancer treatment, which they say is just to "keep up appearances" for the sake of the monarchy and the public.
Camilla Prefers Ray Mill House Over Shared Royal Homes
Charles retreated to Highgrove and Clarence House during private time, sources claimed.
The 76-year-old king is currently receiving care after being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year.
While Camilla, 77, has regularly joined him at official events, insiders say the couple spend much of their private time apart, with the Queen preferring her long-owned home, Ray Mill House in Wiltshire, to the royal residences she shares with Charles.
"They are putting on a united front in public, especially because Charles is ill, but behind the scenes it's a very different picture," a source close to the family claimed.
"They are divorced in everything but name. Camilla lives at Ray Mill most of the time, while Charles retreats to Highgrove or Clarence House. It's a marriage of appearances and public relations optics at this stage."
$1.2M Ray Mill Estate Remains Camilla's True Sanctuary
Camilla enjoys independence at her $1.2million Wiltshire home.
Photographer Chris Jackson highlighted the arrangement when he shared birthday portraits of Camilla this summer, taken at Ray Mill with her rescue dog, Moley.
In a caption, he described the Queen as "happy and relaxed at home in Ray Mill, Wiltshire," underlining where she feels most settled.
The $1.2million property was purchased by Camilla in 1994 after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles, who she left for Charles.
Though she moved into royal residences after marrying the royal in 2005, she has always kept the Wiltshire home.
Her house, complete with swimming pool and sprawling gardens, is often used as a base for her children and grandchildren, offering what friends describe as a "world away from the pressures of the crown."
Charles & Camilla Long Maintained Separate Homes
Queen Camilla has supported Charles at royal events despite living apart.
"For Camilla, Ray Mill is much more than just a house," a family acquaintance said.
"It's where she feels free from the demands of royal life. She's always held on to it because it symbolizes her independence, and that sense of freedom has only deepened as her marriage to Charles has gone on."
Royal commentators say Charles and Camilla's marital arrangement reflects long-standing understandings in their relationship.
Before their marriage, Charles was based at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, while Camilla insisted on keeping her Wiltshire base.
"Right from the start, they agreed they each needed their own retreats," one insider claimed.
"At first, it was what kept the marriage balanced, but now it seems less like a mutual decision and more like proof of how separate their lives have become."
'It’s Duty, Not Relationship, Holding Them Together'
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Charles and Camilla present a united front for the monarchy.
Those close to the household stress Camilla continues to support her husband in public, mindful of his health and the symbolism of unity at a time of uncertainty for the monarchy.
Yet in private, she is said to prize her independence more than ever.
"They remain committed in their own way, but it's not the kind of marriage most people would recognize," the source claimed
"Charles is absorbed in his health and responsibilities, while Camilla prioritizes her time at Ray Mill. At this point, it's the crown that binds them – not the relationship itself."
