In a recent development, Queen Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles is all set to make his first appearance at the royal family's Christmas gathering. This comes after a series of heartfelt exchanges and considerations. The 49-year-old British food writer and critic revealed in a December 7 interview with The Telegraph that his 77-year-old mother expressed a strong desire for him to be with her, King Charles, and the rest of the royal family at Sandringham this year. As he shared, "My mum said, ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time.’ "

Plans and Expectations

While it's not yet completely confirmed, Tom and his family are actively planning to take part in this special Sandringham Christmas. He and his ex-wife, former fashion editor Sara Buys, have two children - Lola, 17, and Frederick, 14. Traditionally, the four have spent the holiday in a more casual manner. As he humorously put it, "For the past 15 years, it has been: I go back to my ex-wife’s house, sit in my tracksuit bottoms, go to the pub while the beef’s in, then try to get my children to watch The Wild Geese. Classic." But this year, it's expected to be a bit different.When asked about which royal family members will be in attendance, Tom admitted he doesn't know for sure. However, he did have some ideas about the food menu and dress code. He said, "I genuinely know nothing about it. But I know there’s turkey and sprouts and church. And I have to bring a suit and a dinner jacket."

Family Dynamics

Parker Bowles also noted that the invitation to attend the royal family's Christmas has always been there, but his mother was particularly keen for him to accept this year. Referring to the King's cancer diagnosis and treatment and his mother's recent bout with pneumonia, he said, "It has been a hell of a two years for them." This experience has made him more aware of the importance of family and the passage of time.As for the Queen's recent illness, Tom said she is recovering well. He described his mother as "tough" and resilient. "She went back to work before she should have done but she’s fine. She’s tough. She hates that she missed Remembrance Sunday. That’s a big day for her. She just gets on with it. She’s always been like that." He also shared that sometimes they don't know where she is, but when they look at the telly, they might find her in Ireland.

Previous Christmas Arrangements

Despite reports suggesting otherwise last year, Tom confirmed to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in October that he has not yet joined the royal family for their traditional Christmas gathering in Sandringham. He explained, "I have my own job and the children have school. I haven’t been to Christmas yet for various reasons." But he went on to say that his mother often joins her two children - she is also mother to daughter Laura Lopes - and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles for a post-holiday gathering. "My mother and father are still great friends, and we will go down on Dec. 27 and my mother will sometimes come. It is something to work towards. It’s a maturity that is a great thing if - despite a marriage sometimes not working - you can keep it together for the sake of the children and the sake of each other then it’s a very good thing."