‘What’s this!’ asked Charles. ‘Clingfilm, darling’

BY THE third anniversary of the Prince’s marriage, Charles and Camilla’s domestic life had settled into a happy routine. Although the staff occasionally heard arguments, the Duchess of Cornwall had become Charles’s anchor and protector.

But even she could sometimes be amused by his loftiness. ‘I’ve been on the Tube, you know,’ he once told a friend after they’d returned from the theatre to Clarence House for dinner.

‘Yes, but only to open a line,’ was the accurate riposte. That same evening, Camilla had told the staff to leave salads and cold cuts of meat on the sideboard.

‘Let’s see what’s for dinner,’ said Charles after finishing his martini. He walked into the dining room and shrieked.

Fearing the worst, Camilla dashed in after him. ‘What’s this?’ asked her husband, pointing at the food.

‘It’s cling film, darling,’ she replied.