The Secret to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s 20-Year Marriage Might Not Be What You Think

King Charles and Queen Camilla depart for a royal tour of Italy on Monday, which includes celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9 in a country known for love and romance (and really good food).

Yes, it’s true—the King and Queen’s romance has lasted the duration, and it could all boil down to what The Daily Express calls the couple’s “unique sleeping arrangements.” Though Charles and Camilla obviously enjoy spending time together—after all, they not only live together at Clarence House in London but also work together as senior royals—they also spent quite a bit of time apart, including when they lay their heads down at night.

Jack Stooks, who worked as a senior gardener at Charles’ country home, Highgrove, for over two decades, said that the couple spend a healthy chunk of time apart. Though they share a London residence, Clarence House, the two keep separate country homes: Charles’ is called Highgrove House, and Camilla’s is Ray Mill House, which she’s always privately owned, even prior to their marriage in 2005.

“Before Charles and Camilla got married, they agreed Camilla would keep her home,” Stooks said. “The separate space was important for them both and their families.”

“For Camilla, her Wiltshire house had so many memories of raising her family,” he continued. “It’s somewhere she can retreat and escape royal life if she needs to. It’s somewhere she can go with her family and have a laid-back weekend without prying eyes.”

Charles and Camilla “are both independent people and don’t mind time apart,” Stooks added.

“Charles enjoys time alone and he’s got a very strong work ethic,” he continued. “He’s been known to work at his desk into the early hours. Camilla, meanwhile, has a lot of friends and is close to her family.”

He added of the couple, “The fact they don’t live in each other’s pockets is one of the many reasons their marriage works. They enjoy their time together and the time apart.”

Even when Charles and Camilla are together at Clarence House, they keep separate bedrooms and have three bedrooms they use: one for him, one for her, and one they share. They’re certainly not the first successful married couple in the royal family to keep separate bedrooms—after all, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, married over 70 years, did the same—and Charles’ need for his own bed doesn’t boil down to anything sinister. In fact, there’s a good reason—and it comes down to his health. Per Marie Claire, the King has chronic back pain, and sleeping alone helps ease it.

“[Charles] has a room with a double bed, decorated to his own taste, then Camilla has her own room with a double bed, decorated just the way she likes it,” a source told The Daily Express. “In addition, they have a shared bedroom with a double bed that they can use whenever they like. The arrangement suits them perfectly.”

Read the original article on InStyle