King Charles, Camilla marriage is 'for optics only' amid health battle, says insider

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla's bond may be more weaker than it seems behind the doors.

A royal insider close to the monarch claimed that King Charles and his wife lead "largely separate lives" amid his health battle and their put united fronts are "for optics only."

For the unversed the 76-year-old king is battling with an undisclosed form of cancer diagnosed earlier this year.

"They are putting on a united front in public, especially because Charles is ill, but behind the scenes it's a very different picture," the source told Radaronline

"They are divorced in everything but name," the insider claimed.

"Camilla lives at Ray Mill most of the time, while Charles retreats to Highgrove or Clarence House. It's a marriage of appearances and public relations optics at this stage."

It is pertinent to mention that Camilla bought the $1.2M Ray Mill estate in 1994 after parting ways from ex husband Andrew Parker Bowles.

"For Camilla, Ray Mill is much more than just a house," a source close to her family revealed.

Her her estate "she feels free from the demands of royal life."

"She's always held on to it because it symbolizes her independence, and that sense of freedom has only deepened as her marriage to Charles has gone on," the family pal added.