Queen's son describes "hell of a two years" for royals

The Queen's son, Tom Parker-Bowles, has revealed the "hell of a two years" endured by his mother and the King, marked by significant health challenges.

The Palace announced King Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, and Camilla has been recovering from a bout of pneumonia since returning from a royal tour of Australia and Samoa.

The 49-year-old food writer and critic told the Daily Telegraph he was planning to spend his first Christmas at Sandringham later this month after their difficult year.

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

"It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it."

Despite the chest infection temporarily ruling her out of royal duties, Mr Parker Bowles described his mother as a resilient woman.

"She went back to work before she should have done but she's fine. She's tough. She hates that she missed Remembrance Sunday. That's a big day for her," he said.

Mr Parker Bowles previously confirmed to the PA news agency the King's cancer treatment is "going well", according to doctors.

Though things have long since settled since his mother married the King in 2005, Mr Parker-Bowles remembered a more chaotic time.

He recalled the intense scrutiny of the 1990s tabloid era, describing the treatment of his mother as "barbaric".

"It was horrific, and you are protective of your mother. Counting how many paps were at the gates, to see who was watching us and taking photographs: it was all as normal as bacon and eggs in the morning. You didn't think of it in any other way (but) It was barbaric," he told the Telegraph.

"I learnt a long time ago not to put my fat fingers into the world of William and Harry. But it was appalling what they went through."