The 77-year-old queen reportedly ‘adored’ the series based on her ex-husband’s charm and allure.

Queen Camilla has found an unexpected favourite in the steamy Disney+ series Rivals, a show inspired by her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. The 77-year-old monarch received an advance copy of the racy eight-part adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel and reportedly “adored” every moment, according to The Times.

The series, set in the competitive world of 1980s television, features Alex Hassell as the suave Rupert Campbell-Black, a polo-loving lothario whose character is famously based on Parker Bowles. The show wastes no time setting its tone, opening with Campbell-Black joining the Mile High Club in a Concorde bathroom.

Assistant Editor Kate Mansey revealed that Queen Camilla, known for her sharp wit and sense of humour, thoroughly enjoyed the adaptation. “I am told that [the Queen] adored Rivals,” she wrote. The series’ mix of high-society drama, humour, and risqué moments appears to have struck a chord with the monarch.

Author Jilly Cooper openly acknowledged drawing inspiration from Parker Bowles for the character during a recent appearance on the How To Fail podcast. “He’s been a great friend for a long time,” Cooper said. “He’s very like Rupert. He’s beautiful and blond and stunning.” In her original 1988 novel, Campbell-Black is described as having “broad flat shoulders” and “lean muscular hips and powerful thighs.”

Despite the character’s notorious “naughty behaviour,” Cooper insisted that only Parker Bowles’ “charm and glamour” informed her portrayal. Yet, Parker Bowles’ reputation as a “ladies’ man” is well documented. The Marchioness of Lansdowne, one of Camilla’s Queen’s Companions, summed it up: “Everybody loves Andrew. He’s a real charmer but he’s always terribly misbehaving.”

The series attracted nearly half a million viewers in its debut, offering a nostalgic glimpse into the flashy, competitive 1980s. The glitzy world of Rivals blends opulence, scandal, and humour, elements that appear to have resonated with Queen Camilla, who remains an enduring figure in Britain’s high society.

For Camilla, whose life has often mirrored the drama of fiction, the series offers more than mere entertainment. It’s a playful nod to her past, a mix of fond memories and cheeky humour wrapped in the glamour of television. As her admiration for the show makes headlines, one thing is clear—Queen Camilla’s royal charm extends to her taste in drama.