Who is Emma Parker Bowles? The Jump 2017 contestant and Camilla’s niece – here’s all you need to know
YOU might recognise the name - or at least the surname - but this self-confessed daredevil might have been a new face for a few of you before the current series of The Jump 2017 kicked off.
Emma Parker Bowles is, of course, related to the Duchess of Cornwall (and future Queen Consort) Camilla – although her profile isn’t quite as high as Prince Charles’ wife. Yet.
Blonde-haired Emma describes herself as an ‘adrenaline junkie’ so she ought to be excited to be taking part in the blood pumping, thrill seeking sports found on Channel 4’s The Jump.
The latest series started on February 5.
Here is what we know about Emma Parker Bowles...
Who is Emma Parker Bowles and where does she come from?
Emma Parker Bowles was born in 1974 and is the daughter of Richard Eustace Parker Bowles and Camilla Younger.
She has a younger half-brother and half-sister after her mother remarried to Charles Wood, the Earl of Halifax, not long after Emma was born.
She was educated at the prestigious Queen Margaret’s School in York whose other high-profile alumna include the Court of Appeal judge Eleanor King, Conservative politician Joan Hall, and the Opera singer Sarah Connolly.
Fees for the private girls’ school reach just under £30,000 for boarding students, while being a day girl will cost just under £20,000.
Tell us about Emma's Royal connections
Emma’s father’s brother, Andrew, was married to Camilla Rosemary Shand (who took the P-B last name) between 1973 and 1995.
After divorcing Andrew, Camilla went on to rekindle her relationship with Prince Charles whom she had known in the 70s and the pair wed in 2005.
As a result, Emma is niece of the Royal who goes by the official name of the Duchess of Cornwall.
In 2006 she attended the wedding of Laura Parker-Bowles and Harry Lopes which was also attended by Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry.
Has Emma Parker Bowles had alcohol and drug issues?
Emma has been frank about her struggles with drugs and alcohol over the years and confessed to being admitted to a drink and drug treatment facility in the year 2000.
In a Daily Mail column in 2011, Emma said she “inherited” her alcoholism from her father – and she explained why she had to push him away when she was trying to cope with alcoholism herself.
The pair were able to reconcile when Emma was 36 and she was at her father’s side as he died.
What does Emma Parker Bowles do?
Emma has a colourful career that includes modelling, journalism, and TV presenting.
She moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to pursue her television presenting ambitions and “befriend Victoria Beckham”.
She has undertaken a number of jobs in Hollywood – including being a mechanic and rescuing stray dogs (while the projected friendship with Posh Spice failed to materialise).
Emma should be in good company on The Jump - which has Louis Smith, Jake Quickenden, and Spencer Matthews all due to take to the snow for the Channel 4 show.
READ MORE
Camilla’s niece Emma Parker Bowles to risk life and limb as she signs up for C4’s The Jump
Jake Quickenden signs up for The Jump after prior success in The X Factor and I’m A Celebrity
