Queen Camilla's Royal Radio Silence: Tom Parker-Bowles Shares Why Her Majesty Isn't in the Family WhatsApp Chat
Queen Camilla, 77, is reportedly not a fan of WhatsApp, which is just as well according to her son, Tom Parker-Bowles, 49, who revealed the reason Her Majesty avoids the popular app within the royal family.
Asked by an outlet if his family uses WhatsApp, the author said, "We do — my children, my sister and cousins — but my mum still uses an old-fashioned Nokia telephone, so [she] can’t. I think it’s for security."
The food author also revealed how difficult it is to keep up with his mother these days since she became King Charles III's Queen Consort on September 8, 2022.
"She’s working a lot harder," he added. "She’s always worked quite hard [so] it’s still the case of, I ring my mother, she doesn’t answer, I look on the television [and think] 'Ah! She’s in Jersey.'"
The Queen has become "something of a sensation all over again" thanks to her recent "down-to-earth" moments while on tour with the King in Australia and Samoa.
Although Her Majesty could very well like 2000s-era phones, security is reportedly the main reason virtually nothing is known about royal cellphones. Charles III reportedly does not own a phone at all, and allows his staff and courtiers to take all of his calls and give him messages. HM apparently returns calls at his desk on a regular office phone.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was a tad bit more modern than her heir and is said to have owned a Blackberry "for years."
All royal phones, no matter the type, are said to have anti-hacker encryption provided by MI6. This is likely a good thing since Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, are reported to use iPhones, and they were spotted in September 2023 with Apple bags during a meeting with Tim Cook, sparking speculation about whether they received new iPhones or watches.
Her Majesty The Queen is also a fan of going barefoot.
During their time in the Aussie capital, the King and Queen made a stop at the city’s famous Opera House, where they greeted a large crowd of enthusiastic fans who had gathered for hours to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.
Later, they took to the water, boarding a boat in Sydney Harbor to participate in an Australian Navy fleet review.
On Wednesday, October 23, their tour continued in Samoa, where they are set to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. In a playful nod to the then-upcoming visit, the King got a taste of Samoan culture during a Buckingham Palace event, even trying his hand at traditional Samoan dancing — leaving his Queen to prepare her most comfortable shoes for what’s ahead.
Daily Mirror reported on the Queen's WhatsApp conundrum.