Reader comment, and others add that they remember it (and so do I.)
"Is it true that Tom was a very naughty boy and Camilla offered up a Harry story instead to keep her own son out of the papers? And Charles allowed it?"
..........................
May 1999 Oxford Mail
"Prince Charles's godson Tom Parker Bowles, 24, bought cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis for himself and friends during his three years at Worcester College.
One source told a Sunday paper: "I would put an order in and Tom would come back with what I wanted."
During his first year, he was arrested for possession of ecstasy tablets and cannabis after being searched leaving a south London nightclub. He claimed the drugs were for personal use and escaped with a caution."
"In1999, he was caught giving cocaine to a journalist while working at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
Last year, it emerged that
one of Ghisaline Maxwell's accusers had a hand in setting up the sting."
........................
"Congrats, British peeps, you’re getting a new princeling and he’s a pale 48-year-old divorced dude with a very sketchy past. Over the past week, we’ve heard a lot about Queen Consort Camilla and how this will be HER coronation too, and she’s insisting that her children and grandchildren be included front and center in the Chubbly proceedings. It’s a signal that Camilla’s long game has come to fruition. Speaking of, the Times of London had this hilariously obvious piece:
“Tom Parker Bowles: the Firm’s new secret weapon? The Queen’s first born is about to gain prominence in the royal family. All signs are that he’s an asset, says Andrew Billen.” – the Windsors have a new secret weapon!".
......................
Comments scathing that TPB would replace Harry as a secret weapon
"Charles has already established, at Camilla’s insistence, trust funds for both Tom and Laura because of the trauma they went through as children because of all the adultery."
"This line — "They (TPB and his ex wife) were both posh, fun, party people, clever and sexy and funny and naughty and all that"— left me laughing in tears. Yeah, no, that guy was never clever or sexy. Goodness gracious they are scraping the bottom of the barrel here, another one who does nothing. Wonder how much they’ll need to pay to cover up his indiscretions."
From The Times
"These people can’t help but inflict and project their insanity onto other people. It sounds like Tom is incredibly indiscreet, especially given that his BFF Giles Coren was one of several British toffs
confirming Prince William’s affair with Rose Hanbury. It also sounds like Queen Camilla is promoting her ghastly large adult son as a “replacement prince” for Prince Harry. Goodbye, charismatic ginger and hello to a face only a horse would love. Speaking of, my mouth is still agape at this line:
“The Sussexes will now have to watch on as Camilla’s family steal the limelight, a nation’s hearts and millions if not billions of clicks and likes.” GOOD LUCK WITH THAT."
.........................
"Prince Harry only mentioned Tom once in Spare: Tom appears in but a single paragraph. Harry, angry at press stories about his hunting trip to Germany in 2017, complains that he believes they (he and William) had been offered by the Palace “in exchange for greater access to Pa, and also as a reward for the suppression of stories about Camilla’s son, who’d been gadding around London, generating tawdry rumours”.
.................
Pinch or block of salt, but an alternative angle and are dated 1st March. No way will this sort of stuff appear in the mainline press, we just never see it though drugs are commonplace among toffs.
I'd not seen any sign of TPB emerging as a secret weapon until an article today which details with photos Camilla's family and supporters ahead of the Coronation including TPB.