A fresh-faced Tom Parker-Bowles appeared to be in the throws of a party in throwback photos from the exclusive Feathers Charity Ball 35 years ago.

Black and white images of Queen Camilla’s son, then 15 years old, show a slightly dishevelled teenager wearing a suit at one of London’s most exclusive high society events in 1989.

His hair slicked back, the royal’s eldest – who is now a food writer and critic –  joined other young socialites, who can be seen smoking, drinking, and dancing the night away.

Members of Britain’s elite have flocked to the event for decades and it remains a rite of passage for many young students in the city’s independent school.

And the never-before-seen photos – which date back the 1950s – offer a striking visual journey through seven decades of late teenage life.

They are part of a collection released to mark the Ball’s 70th anniversary, featuring dozens of smartly dressed party-goers who have never been identified.

Young teenagers can also be seen sipping on fizzy drinks before taking to the dancefloor, as well as lounging around the ball and chatting to friends.

The evolution of fashion can also be seen in the snaps, as fanned out A-line silhouettes turn into more sleek ensembles.

A fresh-faced Tom Parker-Bowles appeared to be in the throws of a party in throwback photos from the exclusive Feathers Charity Ball 35 years ago

Members of Britain’s elite have flocked to the event for decades and it remains a rite of passage for many young students in the city’s independent school. Pictured, guests at the 1989 ball

The photos – which date back the 1950s – offer a striking visual journey through seven decades of late teenage life. Pictured, scenes from 1989

A spokesperson for The Feathers Ball said: ‘The collection features many more intriguing faces whose stories we’re eager to uncover.

‘We’re hoping that the Gallery will serve as a way of finding them and hearing their memories of the Ball.’

Founded in 1934, at the behest of the then Prince of Wales, The Feathers Association has been dedicated to supporting communities across England and Wales for 90 years.

The Christmas Ball, now named the Winter Ball to be more inclusive for young people aged 14 to 16, takes place at one of London’s most renowned clubs, the Ministry of Sound.

But through the years many other famous venues have played host to the event l including the Lyceum Ballroom, Hammersmith Palais, The Tabernacle, Notting Hill.

And last year, the junior ball took place at London’s The Landmark Hotel.

It comes as Tom has recently revealed his mother and the King have gone through a ‘hell of a two years’ marked by significant health challenges, as he looks forward to spending his first Christmas at Sandringham with the royal couple.

The 49-year-old food writer and restaurant critic for The Mail On Sunday opened up about the Queen, who has been recovering from a bout of pneumonia since returning from a royal tour of Australia and Samoa, as well as his step-father, King Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.

Young teenagers can also be seen sipping on fizzy drinks before taking to the dancefloor, as well as lounging around the ball and chatting to friends. Pictured, a photo from 1989

The evolution of fashion can also be seen in the snaps, as fanned out A-line silhouettes turn into more sleek ensembles. Pictured, guests in 1989

Victoria Heber-Percy and Hugo Williams pictured enjoying a dance together at the 1957 event in London

Harriet Cruickshanks, Michael Petrovitch and Simon Ward-Jackson at the Feather’s Club Dance held at the Seymour Hall in London, in 1958

Jessica Kitson and Adam Whitefoord pictured at the 1958 ball. The Christmas Ball, now named the Winter Ball to be more inclusive for young people aged 14 to 16, takes place at one of London’s most renowned clubs, the Ministry of Sound

Despite the chest infection temporarily ruling her out of royal duties, Tom described his mother as a resilient woman.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, he said: ‘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.

He added that ‘nothing’s changed’ since Camilla became Queen, except that she works ‘harder’ and jests he is often unaware what her movements are – at times only discovering she is on a royal visit outside the UK when he turns on the television. 

Meanwhile, Tom previously confirmed the King’s cancer treatment is ‘going well’, according to doctors.

But it is clear the pair have together struggled with health concerns and it has prompted him to think differently about spending time with the monarchs over the festive period. 

A Christmas spent at Sandringham, the Norfolk country home of Charles III, will be in stark contrast to his typical experience spending the day with his former wife, ex-fashion editor Sara Buys, and their teenage children Lola and Frederick.

For that, he would normally don tracksuit bottoms and head to the pub, but this year he’s been advised they will be attending church and to bring a suit and dinner jacket.

Perhaps the formalities have stopped Tom from spending Christmas with them in other years, but he recognises 2024 has been different.

Victor Lampson and Rachel Pakenham at the dance in 1957. Through the years many other famous venues have played host to the event l including the Lyceum Ballroom, Hammersmith Palais, The Tabernacle, Notting Hill

Jovial scenes from 1957 show teenagers at the high society event dancing up a storm together on the floor

Retro silhouettes, including A-line skirts, were all the rage in photos from the 1957 ball held at the Seymour Hall

In 1957, many of the guests cold be seen dancing up a storm on the floor, often in coordinated choreography

David Borodale, Lady Eliza Compton and Lord William Compton pictured posing during the 1957 ball

Adam Barford and Frederica Lambeth-Lawton snapped enjoying the festive atmosphere at the 1958 ball

Miranda Quarry and Anthony Kerman could be seen enjoying themselves on the dancefloor at the 1958 dance 

Jamie Dingle and Terence Derbyshire pictured at the ball in 1989, which was also attended by Queen Camilla’s son

Peter Herbert, Benjamin Brett, Chantal Darbyshire and Eugenie Hanmer can be seen enjoying the 1989 ball

Sophie Clover, Gemma Fripp and Sarah Waring enjoyed a chat as they attended the 1989 ball 35 years ago

A spokesperson for The Feathers Ball said: ‘The collection features many more intriguing faces whose stories we’re eager to uncover’. Pictured, scenes from 1989

Photos from more than thirty years ago captured the excitement of the young teenagers who attended the ball, including this image from 1989

Lady Bentlon-Jones the Countess of Liverpool pictured at the 1989 ball, which was also attended by Tom Parker-Bowles

Kirsty Grammer, Jake Hulton, Ralph Perring and Archie Cunningham pictured chatting at the 1989 ball

A throwback photo from 1989 shows a group photo with young men sporting suits, ties and bowties

Other images from the events show young people lining up for the cloakroom, during the 1989 ball

He explained: ‘My mum said ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time’.

‘It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it.’

The food critic said he enjoys a good relationship with the pair and things have settled down since his mother married the King in 2005, though he still remembers a more chaotic time.

In particular, he recalled the intense scrutiny following revelations by the British tabloid press in 1993 that his mother was having a relationship with the then Prince of Wales.

Tom was a student at Oxford University when the scandal broke. 

He described the treatment of his mother as ‘barbaric’.

‘It was horrific, and you are protective of your mother. Counting how many paps were at the gates, to see who was watching us and taking photographs: it was all as normal as bacon and eggs in the morning. 

‘You didn’t think of it in any other way (but) It was barbaric,’ he told the Telegraph.

Tom has previously called the King ‘the kindest, most knowledgeable, lovely man’ and praised the monarch’s relationship with Camilla – describing the pair as ‘very well suited’

Tom revealed his mother, Queen Camilla, had requested that he spend Christmas with her and King Charles III at Sandringham this year 

‘I learnt a long time ago not to put my fat fingers into the world of William and Harry. But it was appalling what they went through.’

Camilla divorced Tom’s father, Andrew, in 1995, with Charles finalising his divorce to Diana a year later. 

Those were painful years, recalls Tom, but today he has much respect for his step-father.

Camilla divorced Tom’s father, Andrew, in 1995, with Charles finalising his divorce to Diana a year later. 

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In a recent interview with Hello! magazine, the restaurant critic called the king ‘the kindest, most knowledgeable, lovely man’ and praised the monarch’s relationship with Camilla – describing the pair as ‘very well suited’.

Tom also revealed how his children call Charles ‘Uppa’ and how they ‘have grown up with this man that they all love and think is wonderful.’ 

The writer equally appreciates that Charles is a staunch supporter like himself of the plight of farmers, as well as his love for organic food.

And surprisingly, Tom – who has written five cookbooks and won the Guild of Food Writers award in 2010 for his writings on British food – revealed that King Charles III is in fact an expert on cheese.

He told The Telegraph: ‘There is no man – and I’m not being oily – who knows more about cheesemaking. If he wasn’t the King, he would be a fantastic food writer.’ 

Tom, who appears regularly as a critic on Masterchef, has just published his latest book, Cooking and the Crown.

The cookbook explores 200 years of British royal recipes and Tom says he not only received the nod from Charles and Camilla, but also the late Queen Elizabeth II shortly before her death in 2022. 

He says he only met the late monarch twice in his life – and each moment was equally memorable. 

Their relationship, he adds, was somewhat ‘removed’.  

Tom divulged: ‘[I met the Queen] once when I was eight and I was scared, so I curtseyed rather than bowed, and again at my mother’s wedding, where my sister and I went for a fag and heard her voice behind us saying ‘are you lost?’