Tom Parker Bowles has spoken out to dispel a long-standing belief about his mother, Queen Camilla, saying the widely held image of her enjoying a gin and tonic with a cigarette simply isn’t true.

No Gin, No Cigarettes

Tom, 50, shared during a conversation on the White Wine Question Time podcast with Kate Thornton that Queen Camilla doesn’t drink gin at all and hasn’t smoked in decades. In fact, he says, “I’ve never seen her tipsy.” Instead, he described his mother as a very “moderate and sensible” drinker who prefers red wine.

He clarified, “She doesn’t drink gin, which is this whole thing, and she gave up fags 20 years ago—maybe 30.”

Food Preferences: Keep It Simple

The discussion also turned to food, as Tom was promoting his latest cookbook. He admitted that the majority of its contents wouldn’t appeal to his mother, who isn’t fond of heavily seasoned or spicy dishes. “She doesn’t really eat a lot of meat,” he explained. “If I did cook for her, it would probably be something like a piece of fish.”

He added, “She likes quite plain food. And contrary to the popular stereotype, I’ve never seen her even tipsy.”

A Persistent Royal Myth

Podcast host Kate Thornton acknowledged the enduring public image of Camilla enjoying gin and cigarettes, saying, “That kind of myth persists, doesn’t it? That she likes to knock back a G and T with a cigarette?”