01 January 2023 , 13:24
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Camilla 's lavish Wiltshire mansion she obtained after her divorce boasts an outdoor swimming pool, stables and a river - but King Charles hates it.
The Queen Consort's home - bought for £850,000 in 1994 - served as the backdrop for photos of the monarch's second wife by daughter-in-law Kate Middleton to mark her 75th birthday in July last year.
With the property having been purchased with personal funds it does not make up part of the Firm's vast portfolio of homes across the UK.
And despite having access to many such homes, including Buckingham Palace and Charles' Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, it is said Camilla loves to sneak off to her private Ray Mill retreat.
While there she can indulge in her guilty pleasures - said not to be to the tastes of the King, whose Cotswold home is only 15 minutes away.
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After divorcing Andrew Parker Bowles, Camilla lived at Ray Mill from 1996 to 2003.
Camilla purchased Ray Mill House in 1994 (REX/Shutterstock)A source told Daily Express columnist Adam Helliker: "At Ray Mill, she can sit down with a big G&T, kick off her shoes and watch Coronation Street, which Charles loathes.
"She also doesn’t have to bother about how the place looks – Charles is so fussy about tidiness, while she leaves her stuff all over the place.
"She doesn’t need her cushions plumped all the time."
The 'Snug Room' at Ray Mill (Keith Waldegrave/Mail On Sunday/REX/Shutterstock)Camilla's daughter Laura Lopes hosted her wedding reception at the house when she married Harry Lopes in 2006.
Interior design expert Deepa Mehta-Sagar and founder of Area Decor LLC in Dubai, has now described what the private hideaway looks like inside.
She told the Express : "Ray Mill House in Wiltshire is a sprawling, historic stone manor that Camilla purchased in the mid-1990s after her first marriage ended.
Camilla's dining room (Keith Waldegrave/Mail On Sunday/REX/Shutterstock)"The Queen Consort continues to retain her private residence. Media reports often describe Camilla as ‘a country girl’ and in this, the manor is a true reflection of her personality.
"Ray Mill House comes with acres of gardens, stables, an outdoor swimming pool, and an elegant terrace. Enormous windows overlook lush gardens.
"All of this showcases the Queen Consort’s love of nature and the outdoors.
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A bedroom at the Queen Consort's home (Keith Waldegrave/Mail On Sunday/REX/Shutterstock)"The interiors are interspersed with wooden detailing and dark-wood furnishings which spell luxury while still being enveloped in a sense of warmth.
"It captures the Queen Consort’s genuine, down-to-earth demeanour. Of the many homes Camilla lives in, this is probably where she is most herself.
"After all, this is her privately owned residence and a home where she spent many years before moving in with King Charles in 2003."
The kitchen at the elegant mansion (Keith Waldegrave/Mail On Sunday/REX/Shutterstock)Since becoming Queen, Camilla has maintained her personal home with Ms Mehta-Sagar suggesting it is because it is "an extension of her identity".
"The vast open spaces also make this the perfect hideaway," she continued.
"Reportedly, this is where the Queen Consort spends time with her children and grandchildren, away from the public gaze.
The roof terrace boasts some incredible views (Keith Waldegrave/Mail On Sunday/REX/Shutterstock)"The Queen Consort has always loved outdoor pursuits and is passionate about gardening.
"In this, the lush, enormous gardens at Wiltshire, far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, are an ode to her."
King Charles is not the biggest fan of Camilla's personal home in Wiltshire (Getty Images)