NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Aussie man claiming to be Prince Charles' long-lost son chats to Jono and Ben on The Hits

NZ Herald
17 May, 2021 08:10 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Jono & Ben speak with Simon Dorante-Day. Video / The Hits

The man who claims to be the love child of Prince Charles and Camilla "just wants a DNA test".

Australian man Simon Dorante-Day has been making headlines since he claimed to be the secret son of Charles and Camilla - and now he's spoken to Kiwi radio hosts Jono and Ben live on The Hits Breakfast.

Dorante-Day was born in the UK in April 1966, adopted by a Portsmouth family who worked for the royals. He claims he was conceived by a then-17-year-old Prince Charles and 18-year-old Camilla.

He told radio hosts Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce life had been a "rollercoaster" since Prince Philip passed away and said he was "pretty much 100 per cent certain" he was related to the royal.

"I've been looking at it for quite some time. I was adopted as a child and told I was born at a hospital where I wasn't, and I have lots of memories of different things that went on."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But it wasn't until his first son was born with blue eyes that the investigation really began, he said. Over the past year or so, he has shared multiple photos on social media comparing himself and his family to members of the royal family.

And he doesn't want money or a title, he told the radio hosts - all he wants is a DNA test.

"My wife was adopted too and I sat and watched her speak to both sets of parents. and understand the story of why she was given away and what happened ... I want the opportunity and I think they've got the right to air their side of the story so that I know what they went through. What I'm looking for is the truth."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He revealed that he had written to the Queen and to Charles several times. "I exhausted every private route that I could before it went public."

UK royal correspondent Gavin Grey also spoke to The Hits hosts.

"He believes it to be true so he's the one that should pursue it," Grey said of Dorante-Day.

Simon Dorante-Day claims he was born to teenaged Charles and Camilla in 1966. Photo / News Corp Australia
Simon Dorante-Day claims he was born to teenaged Charles and Camilla in 1966. Photo / News Corp Australia

"He's already found out the royal family won't be cooperating much with him."

And he confirmed he'd spoken to Prince Charles's press office, who said they wouldn't be commenting on the situation.

The royal expert also shared that there are a few inconsistencies to Dorante-Day's story.

"It is reported that Charles and Camilla actually met five years after he is saying that she fell pregnant with him ... the royal couple we don't think were together at that date."

And while he confirmed that Charles was sent to Australia on an official royal visit at the time, he said Dorante-Day's claims Camilla "disappeared" for nine months weren't entirely accurate.

"Actually there are photos that exist that show her attending a debutante ball in London on March 25 1965, which is about the time he's talking about I think, and she is quite obviously not pregnant. And she's pictured at numerous points throughout the year in 1965."

Dorante-Day shared photos that show him bearing a striking resemblance to Prince Andrew. Photo / Supplied
Dorante-Day shared photos that show him bearing a striking resemblance to Prince Andrew. Photo / Supplied

"I'm not saying he's wrong, it's just things that get in the way of his chain of events."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Grey also pointed out that if his adoptive grandparents, Winifred and Ernest Bowlden, had worked for the queen's household, they would likely have received an award for their service.

"And a quick flick through the records suggests that there's no record of Ernest receiving an award."

But he hastened to add that he wasn't dismissing Dorante-Day's story.

"I think there's a few facts that need to be explained first. This would have tremendous ramifications ... short of a disaster or some scandal like this there is no way Prince Charles is going to give up his rightful place to the throne.

"The next year's going to be very interesting for the monarchy."

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

A dying man said he found the key to happiness. Science backs him up

22 Sep 01:00 AM
Lifestyle

King rules out ‘half-in, half-out’ royal role for Harry

21 Sep 08:47 PM
Lifestyle

Mum pulls son from school after cheese snack sparks row

21 Sep 07:44 PM

Sponsored

The skin sensitivities keeping Kiwi dogs (and their families) awake

21 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Premium
A dying man said he found the key to happiness. Science backs him up
Lifestyle

A dying man said he found the key to happiness. Science backs him up

Washington Post: The dying man, the coffee shop, and the lesson science says we need most.

22 Sep 01:00 AM
King rules out ‘half-in, half-out’ royal role for Harry
Lifestyle

King rules out ‘half-in, half-out’ royal role for Harry

21 Sep 08:47 PM
Mum pulls son from school after cheese snack sparks row
Lifestyle

Mum pulls son from school after cheese snack sparks row

21 Sep 07:44 PM


The skin sensitivities keeping Kiwi dogs (and their families) awake
Sponsored

The skin sensitivities keeping Kiwi dogs (and their families) awake

21 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP