Queen Camilla reunited with TikTok sensation Spudman during an event at the British Library in London today, six months after they bonded over a shared love of spuds. Her Majesty, 78, caught up with Ben Newman, instantly recognisable by his pink mohawk, at the Big Lunch event to mark the National Year of Reading.
The Queen was seen having a very animated chat with Ben, who sells £5 jacket potatoes from his trailer in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and has gained over 4 million followers on TikTok by sharing clips of his business. For the occasion, Camilla opted to wear a green silk peacock feather print dress from Katya Wildman. She paired the tie-up frock with diamond and turquoise earrings and kept her makeup looking fresh and dewy.
The Big Lunch Celebration
The Big Lunch is the UK's annual celebration bringing millions of neighbours and communities together in a nationwide act of friendship on the first weekend in June every year since 2009. Camilla, who has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013, was all smiles as she posed for pictures with Paddington Bear before speaking to young guests and well-wishers at the event.
The Queen first crossed paths with Spudman when he travelled to Clarence House last November. Camilla rolled up her sleeves to serve jacket potatoes to visitors with Ben, as the pair wore matching purple aprons while dishing out piping hot jacket potatoes. Toppings included beans, tuna, and Coronation chicken, with TV personalities Tom Read Wilson and Gaby Roslin tucking into their spuds with relish.
Royal Voluntary Service Partnership
The event celebrated the work done by Royal Voluntary Service - of which Camilla is patron - and commemorated its new volunteering platform. After his royal stint, father-of-nine Ben left for Shoreditch High Street to serve prospective meals on wheels and lunch club volunteers.
The social media star first impressed Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles when they met in February 2024. The cookbook author declared Spudman's jacket potatoes were the 'finest baked spuds to ever pass' his lips in a glowing endorsement. Documenting their meeting for the Daily Mail at the time, Camilla's son Tom praised Ben as 'warm, friendly, and possibly one of the nicest men he's ever met, responding to the near-incessant requests for videos and selfies with the same patient charm.'
And when it came to the spuds, he was no less complimentary. 'The skin is crisp and brown, with just the right amount of chew, the earthy undertone of the potato shining through,' Tom gushed in his review of the jacket. 'Inside, a magnificent hot mess of melted butter and cheese. The chilli has a whisper of cumin, and the baked beans add bite.'
Spudman's Background
When Ben met Camilla last November, he told the Daily Mail that she was 'just as lovely', adding: 'She made sure to have tuna mayo spud for her lunch.' While his day has been a 'whirlwind' and Ben was initially nervous on arrival at Clarence House, he said Camilla 'constantly put him at ease'. 'She was talking to everyone and I was last in line because I had to take her out to the food truck afterwards,' the social media star explained. 'But as soon as she came over she was so nice. I was so surprised by how much she knew about me!'
He continued: 'She said she'd spoken to Tom about me, she knew I had a big family. I'm on dialysis and she knew that, she asked me how it was going.' As soon as they got outside, he continued, the Queen got 'stuck in' and needed no guidance when it came to serving spuds. 'She put her apron on, she knew exactly what she was doing,' he shared.
Ben also said that he was blown away and 'honoured' by the opportunities he has been able to have since beginning to document his business on TikTok in 2021. Today, he boasts 4.2 million followers. He initially began live-streaming to support kidney research after being diagnosed with renal failure in 2010. He has raised more than £10,000.
The humble food salesman has, in the last year, hung out with US singer Teddy Swims and Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, while he was serving potatoes at a London screening to promote the pair's new Deadpool and Wolverine film. 'I'm blown away,' he told the Daily Mail. 'My business is where I want it to be; I don't want it to be huge. I'm lucky, I've bought a house, my family is comfortable.' Ben revealed that he is keen to focus more of his time on charity work, including the initiative with the RVS.
Queen Camilla's Other Engagements
It comes after Queen Camilla inaugurated a unique rooftop 'ward' at a south London hospital yesterday. The outdoor ward at St George's Hospital in Tooting will be used by patients being treated for serious brain injuries, tumours and strokes. The garden has seen a previously inaccessible space transformed into a tranquil open-air oasis connected to the intensive care unit at the hospital.
King Charles's wife was typically elegant in a navy, polka-dotted dress that she accessorised with a bracelet from her favourite jewellery brand, Van Cleef & Arpels. The queen also wore a pair of pearl drop earrings and finished her look with a gemstone pendant, as Camilla opted for a fuss-free and dewy makeup look. Her Majesty, 78, was greeted by dozens of medical staff as she arrived at the McKissock Ward, a 21-bed Neurosurgery Ward, who clapped, cheered and filmed her on their mobile phones.
'Stepping out here in the fresh air, I'm sure all the patients here will get all the benefits,' Camilla said. Marvelling at the trees, shrubs, flowers and seating areas, she added: 'Many congratulations to everybody who has been involved. I can see the difference it makes…I'm sure all the patients here are going to benefit enormously from this. I think you've done a wonderful job…I am thrilled to be here to be able to open it.'
