Queen Camilla Spotted Shopping at Department Store Fortnum & Mason in a Subtle Tribute to Queen Elizabeth

12/19/2024 11:37 AM

Camilla purchased an item her late mother-in-law was also said to enjoy buying there

She may be royalty, but even Queen Camilla likes a trip out to the department store every now and then!

The Daily Mail obtained photos of the Queen, 77, shopping at a branch of Fortnum & Mason on Dec. 17, a store that has been a longtime royal favorite — it has a Royal Warrant and was a favorite of Camilla's late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth.

While shopping, Camilla apparently browsed the tea section of the store, eventually landing on a set of cinnamon and orange black tea, surrounded by aides as she chose which to purchase.

The royal browsed "for some time" and "almost went unnoticed" by other shoppers, according to The Daily Mail. She was eventually "spotted by a man who was in the store buying the same tea for his wife" — and he was "taken aback to see the Queen standing opposite him," the outlet reported.

Queen Camilla's Christmastime shopping at Fortnum & Mason is actually a bit of a tribute to Queen Elizabeth. According to the department store's website, "Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II continued the family tradition of doing Christmas shopping in store, which had to be arranged months in advance."

Like her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth apparently also was a fan of giving tea as gifts, as the store's website added that "The list of provisions provided for her [Queen Elizabeth] and her mother to give as presents reveal a shared practical bent of mind, with breakfast trays, breakfast sets, garden furniture and hostess trolleys being particularly popular."

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Queen Camilla joined her husband King Charles for his annual pre-Christmas lunch on Dec. 19, held in London at Buckingham Palace. The lunch took place ahead of the couple decamping to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk for the traditional royal Christmas celebrations there, which this year will include a new face — Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles.

Related: Queen Camilla's Son Tom Parker Bowles Plans to Attend Royal Family Christmas for First Time Ever After 'Hell of a Two Years'

Though Camilla married into the royal family nearly 20 years ago, this will be the first time that Tom, 49, has joined the yearly celebrations at Sandringham.

"My mum said, 'I'd love you to come, I haven't had Christmas with you for a long time,' " he told The Telegraphon Dec. 7.

Tom — who shares daughter Lola, 17, and son Frederick, 14, with ex-wife Sara Buys — said of the royal Christmas at Sandringham, "I genuinely know nothing about it. But I know there's turkey and sprouts and church. And I have to bring a suit and a dinner jacket."

It'll be a bit different from his traditional Christmas celebrations, he told the outlet: "For the past 15 years, it has been I go back to my ex-wife's house, sit in my tracksuit bottoms, go to the pub while the beef's in, then try to get my children to watch The Wild Geese. Classic." He added, "So this would be a bit different."

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Though he and his children don't typically spend Dec. 25 with Queen Camilla, she often joins Tom, her daughter Laura Lopes and their father (and Camilla's ex-husband) Andrew Parker Bowles for a post-holiday get together.

"My mother and father are still great friends, and we will go down on Dec. 27 and my mother will sometimes come," Tom said. "It is something to work towards. It's a maturity that is a great thing if — despite a marriage sometimes not working — you can keep it together for the sake of the children and the sake of each other, then it's a very good thing."