Anne Robinson confirms she is in relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles (2024)

As the so-called “Queen of Mean” and the former husband of the actual Queen, they have been at pains to keep their romance under wraps.

But Anne Robinson, 79, the television presenter, has confirmed that she is in a relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles, 84.

Asked whether she was dating the former Household Cavalry officer, who was married to the Queen for 22 years, she gave a characteristically sharp response: “Yes. Full stop. Mind your own business.”

Robinson acknowledged that she had been out of the dating game for some time, noting: “If you don’t drink, you’re not as reckless, are you?”

But she told Saga magazine: “I’m a great believer in surprising yourself by taking risks.

“Personally and professionally. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If the worst that can happen is you get some egg on your face, that’s not terrible is it?”

On why dating can be easier in older age, she added: “You’re much more selective about what you’re going to get into a tizz about. Nothing matters that much. You’re not going to change.”

The pair are thought to have been dating for about 20 months but have gone out of their way to avoid being seen together in public. Not for nothing is Mr Parker Bowles known for his discretion.

Yet their unlikely romance has been an open secret within certain society circles in the Cotswolds, where both maintain their own homes.

The news leaked out in unconfirmed reports last December, although at the time, both remained tight-lipped.

A mutual friend revealed: “They have judiciously avoided being photographed together as they both wanted to keep this quiet for as long as possible.

“Annie proudly tells everyone she is the daughter of a market trader chicken-seller and is as far removed from a toff as could be. Frankly, it beats any storyline The Crown could possibly come up with.”

The source told The Sun that she remained “fiercely independent and self-sufficient”, adding that there was “no chance” of the pair cohabiting.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, perhaps the couple might be more amenable to being photographed together at their favoured racetracks and restaurants.

They are understood to have met at a lunch Robinson hosted for her brother, Peter, and his old school friends in around September 2022.

Their unlikely matchmaker is said to have been one of her neighbours, Father Felix Stevens, a retired monk, who attended Ampleforth, the North Yorkshire boarding school, with Robinson’s brother and suggested she include fellow alumni Parker Bowles on the guest list.

Since then, the duo have conducted their fledgling romance behind closed doors, shuttling back and forth between each other’s homes some 30 miles apart and venturing out together only to attend private dinner parties with friends, Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, among them.

The Queen is said to have been initially amused by the pairing but also supportive.

On the surface, they appear an unlikely match: she the Lancashire-born daughter of a market trader known for her icy put-downs and he, the aristocratic cavalry officer and father of the Queen’s two children.

Mr Parker Bowles became so well known for his philandering that Dame Jilly Cooper, an old friend of the Queen, said that he was one of the inspirations for her fictional seducer Rupert Campbell-Black, in the Rutshire Chronicles.

But the couple have much in common. Both have been marriedtwice and have much-cherished children and grandchildren. Both love the countryside, hunting and racing.

Mr Parker Bowles married Camilla in 1973, much to the frustration of the then Prince Charles, who had already fallen for her.

They had two children, Tom Parker Bowles, now 49, and Laura Lopes, 46, before divorcing in 1995. While Camilla returned to Charles, Parker Bowles married garden designer Rosemary Pitman in 1996, remaining with her until she died of cancer in 2010.

Robinson met her first husband, Charles Wilson, while working as a journalist at the Daily Mail.

The couple married in 1968 but divorced five years later, when Wilson was granted custody of their daughter, Emma, against the backdrop of Robinson’s heavy drinking.

She married her second husband, John Penrose, another journalist, in 1980. They divorced in 2007, when Robinson was at the height of her fame presenting The Weakest Link.

“No mother puts her son on her knee and teaches him what to do when he grows up and marries someone who earns more money and might even be smarter than him,” she told the Daily Mail in 2021.

“There are few happy husbands under those circ*mstances, and I am astonished that Penrose and I got as far as we did.”

Robinson has remained friends with both of her former husbands.

In 2017, she told the BBC she was a “committee of one” but extolled the benefits of sex in her 70s.

“I hope all women my age are having sex, why wouldn’t they be? It’s what keeps me young,” she said.

Several years earlier, she told Radio 4: “It is quite hard at my age to find someone that punches at your weight. I am quite demanding.”

She vowed not to marry a third time, insisting it was “just not necessary”.

Anne Robinson confirms she is in relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles (2024)

FAQs

What does Anne Robinson's daughter do? ›

Personal life. Robinson married the journalist Charles Wilson in 1968. In 1970 the couple had a daughter, Emma Wilson, who became a British radio disc jockey and has also hosted Scaredy Camp, a game show in the United States on the Nickelodeon network.

How much is Anne Robinson worth? ›

Anne Robinson has revealed that she has transferred her £50 million fortune to her family to avoid inheritance tax. The 79-year-old television presenter disclosed in an interview with Saga magazine that she distributed her wealth to her relatives to prevent them from facing tax obligations after her death.

How old is Brigadier Parker Bowles? ›

Andrew Parker Bowles
Born27 December 1939(1939-12-27) (age 84)
Spouse(s)Camilla Shand (m. 1973, div. 1995) Rosemary Pitman (m. 1996, died. 2010)
ChildrenTom Parker Bowles Laura Lopes
ParentsDerek Henry Parker Bowles Dame Ann de Trafford DCVO
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How was Anne's relationship with her parents? ›

Anne Frank had difficulties with members of her family, which were greatly exacerbated by their condition of captivity. She often quarreled with her mother, Edith, and sister, Margot, but she had much more fond interactions with her father, Otto.

Who is Anne Robinson married to? ›

Is Anne Robinson in a relationship? ›

Anne Robinson confirms she is in relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles.

What is Anne Robinson doing now? ›

Anne then came back into the spotlight when she took over Channel 4's popular game show Countdown in 2021 for a year. Now reportedly in a romantic relationship with Queen Camilla's ex-husband - the 79-year-old star made headlines recently after it was reported she is secretly dating Andrew Parker Bowles.

How much is Jackie Robinson's estate worth? ›

Jackie Robinson's net worth was $6 million. His first salary as a baseball player was $400 per month. However, at the peak of his career, his salary was $39, 750 as per celebritynetworth.com.

Is Laura Lopes Prince Charles' daughter? ›

Marriage and children

Since her mother's wedding to Charles III in 2005, she has been the King's stepdaughter and the stepsister of Prince William and Prince Harry. On 6 May 2006, she married chartered accountant Harry Marcus George Lopes, son of the Hon. George Lopes and his wife, the Hon. Sarah Astor.

Did Camilla go to Diana's funeral? ›

Camilla, the current queen consort, may have been at Diana and Charles's wedding in 1980. one, but she was not present for Diana's funeral. nearly 16 years later. Apparently, the Queen made it clear to Charles.

Did Camilla have a child with Charles? ›

They've had no children together. Prince Charles has two sons, William and Harry. Camilla has a son and daughter, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.

What did Jackie Robinson's daughter do? ›

Prior to joining MLB, Ms. Robinson had a 20-year career as a nurse-midwife and educator. She taught in such prestigious universities as Yale, Columbia, Howard, and Georgetown, and is Vice Chairman of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

Who is Mrs Robinson's daughter? ›

During one of their trysts, Mrs. Robinson reveals that she and her husband married after she accidentally became pregnant with their daughter, Elaine.

What jobs did Jackie Robinson's mom have? ›

In May 1920 Robinson's mother decided to leave Georgia altogether and took a train to Pasadena, California, where her half brother lived. She worked as a maid to support her children, and they remained poor.

Who was the first Weakest Link host? ›

The Weakest Link (British game show)
The Weakest Link
GenreQuiz show
Created byFintan Coyle Cathy Dunning
Presented byOriginal series: Anne Robinson Revival: Romesh Ranganathan
Narrated byOriginal series: Jon Briggs Revival: Julie Hesmondhalgh
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