Today, we’ve all heard about
the dangers of smoking but years ago it was viewed as glamorous and the thing
to do especially in elite circles and amongst the royal family.
Although Queen Elizabeth
II is not believed to have ever smoked several members of her
family including her father, King George VI, and her sister, Princess
Margaret, did and many of her uncles and other relatives died from
smoking-related illnesses.
Here, we’re taking a look at
some of the more recent smokers in the family. Did you know these royals
enjoyed puffing on cigarettes?
Prince
Harry
Most people are aware that
Prince Harry used to smoke. The royal started doing so in his teens and
reportedly became a pack-a-day smoker of Marlboros. But that all changed
when he met Meghan Markle.
A source told the Daily Mail
that “Meghan completely changed Harry’s diet.” The prince traded in his
high-calorie snacks for green juice and fruit smoothies.
Princess
Eugenie
In 2009, Prince Andrew
and Sarah Ferguson’s daughter was photographed by the MailOnline with
a cigarette in her hand while she was hanging out in Sydney with her bodyguard
and some friends.
The princess was 19 when those
pictures were taken and it’s been reported that while she did enjoy a smoke
from time to time when she was a teen, she has since quit.
Camilla
Parker Bowles
You can’t talk about royals
who smoked cigarettes without mentioning Camilla Parker Bowles. The
Duchess of Cornwall was a smoker for 30 years before she gave it up because the
Prince of Wales absolutely hated the habit.
Charles’ wife smoked about
half a pack a day and when she was ready to kick the habit enlisted the help
of health guru Mosaraf Ali and was able to stop.
Smoking Banned at All Palaces
In 2016, word came from
Buckingham Palace that smoking was banned at all royal residences
including Windsor Castle, St James’s Palace, Kensington Palace, and the Palace
of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Clarence House, where Prince Charles
resides, had already been a non-smoking zone for years since he
loathes the smell of smoke.
The 2006 Health Act prevents
smoking in enclosed public spaces including workplaces so smoking inside most
of the palaces had not been permitted for some time. However, royals who
took puffs in designated areas on palace grounds saw that end on May
22, 2016.
