Why Queen Camilla Isn't in Her Family’s WhatsApp Chat

Her son Tom shared the very relatable reason.

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Getty

Queen Camilla and Scary Spice Mel B have something in common: yes, they're both British icons, but they're also both out of the loop when it comes to some very important WhatsApp groups. In a new interview, Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, shared that while he and his family members have an active WhatsApp thread to keep in touch, the queen isn't participating because her phone is too old. And before anyone gets to wondering why she doesn't send a lady in waiting to the Apple store, it goes deeper than just not having the right tech at hand.

“We do—my children, my sister, and cousins,” Tom shared with Woman & Home. “But my mum still uses an old-fashioned Nokia telephone, so [she] can’t. I think it’s for security.”

According to the Times, Tom is right about security and Nokias. The outlet reports that "for reasons of national security, little is known about the mobile phones that the royal family use." Even if she could get a smartphone, Tom notes that she's too busy to yap. With royal appointments and international tours, she's a little occupied.

“She’s working a lot harder,” Tom said, adding that he often has to learn about his mother's whereabouts from the news, like the rest of the world. “She’s always worked quite hard, [so] it’s still the case of, I ring my mother, she doesn’t answer. I look on the television [and think], ‘Ah! She’s in Jersey.’”

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Camilla was married to Tom’s father, Andrew Parker Bowles, before they divorced and she got married to then-Prince Charles in 2005.

Queen Elizabeth also was a little bit behind when it came to phones and technology. In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, author Gyles Brandreth explained that while she knew how to use a phone, some things went over her head—and she was strict about when her grandchildren could use their devices.

“She understood texting, though was rather defeated by apps. And she did not allow her grandchildren to bring their devices to the dining table, under any circumstances,” Brandreth shared.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

As for Mel B, another kind of royalty, she got kicked out of the Spice Girls chat because she was talking too much.

“That always happens to me,” she said during an appearance on Britain’s This Morning. “Because I say things. You know, I get so excited when it comes to Spice Girls, because it is 30 years. And, you know, we’ve got a lot to celebrate—the fact that we’re all still healthy and living life and are talking still. It’s nice. So, I can’t say anything else to get myself kicked out!”