Luke Parker Bowles, the Queen Consort's Nephew, on Living in New Jersey and Monarchy’s Next Era

Luke Parker Bowles has gone from being bullied for his last name as a child to being a proud ambassador for the British family in America from his home in New Jersey.

The nephew of Camilla, the queen consort and wife of King Charles III, spoke with Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY Oct. 26 about how he ended up building a life in the United States and how he sees the next generation of the monarchy leading Britain during a turbulent time.

He spoke with Jenna as Rishi Sunak became Britain's third prime minister in seven weeks on Oct. 25 amid a cycle of political and economic chaos in the United Kingdom. Their talk also came just over a month after the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II and the ascension to the throne by King Charles.

"It’s been a big change for the U.K. of late," Parker Bowles said. "We’re in a lot of trouble with our financial situation, with our political situation.

"And I think that it’s no surprise that the one ray of light at the moment is — I have to get used to calling him that — is His Majesty and my aunt. And also Kate and William. I think the queen, before she died, was very smart about making sure that the four of them were front and center to the public, and were showing that they actually are working."

Parker Bowles, 44, who is Camilla's nephew through her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, believes Queen Elizabeth set the example with her dedication to service and the country.

"I think for the most part, she left this world feeling that everything was in its right place," he said.

She also is the namesake of a place close to his heart — the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Manhattan, New York. The natural space pays tribute to members of the Commonwealth who died in the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Parker Bowles helped spearhead the creation of the garden with the help of King Charles.

"His Majesty very kindly became our trustee and helped us get this garden going," he said. "And then Her Late Majesty allowed us to name it after her. And it’s a place for people to go down and reflect and remember."

It's a piece connecting Parker Bowles to his home during his journey from growing up in England to living in the rolling hills of Montclair, New Jersey, where he oversees the Montclair Film Festival. It's a winding path he would not have envisioned if you told him at 18 where he was going to end up one day.

"I’d say, 'What’s New Jersey?'" he said. "Probably. Truly. But it’s the best decision I ever made."

During his childhood in England, he can remember being bullied for his last name when his aunt was in the spotlight. She was vilified after Charles divorced Princess Diana, followed by Diana's tragic death in a car crash in 1997 and then Charles and Camilla going public with their relationship.

"It was a rough time," he said. "I have to be very clear, it's much tougher for my cousins. But somehow, kids, as they are, age 13, Diana had just tragically died, and Camilla and Charles were public. And in some strange, convoluted way, people associated Diana’s death with Camilla. So being in the middle of that, and kids can be cruel, it was not a great time to be a Parker Bowles. But it hasn’t scarred me."

Parker Bowles fell in love with movies at a young age, and after his dreams of being an actor fizzled, he realized he wanted to be behind the camera. He is a long-time film producer who worked on movies in England, including "Love Actually," and met his wife, Daniela Parker Bowles, 47, in New York City.

That ultimately prompted him to move to the Big Apple to work on independent films. He has since made the metropolitan area his home for more than a decade while raising three children with his wife.

He works as CEO of the film-production company Odd Sausage and works with actor Patrick Wilson from "The Conjuring" to run Cinema Lab, which refurbishes small-town movie theaters in the U.S. to help revive them into community gathering areas.

"It was really spurned on by seeing my daughter and her friends and my friends’ daughters and sons all hanging out at CVS car parks (parking lots), or whatever it may be," he said about Cinema Lab. "There’s no center. The brightest light that shines in Upper Montclair on a Saturday night is the Cold Stone Creamery, so we want to bring back the community."

The Cinema Lab initiative and the 9/11 garden are part of his DNA.

"All of us, my cousins, my brother, myself, we’ve always been involved in charity," he said. "It’s much more important to be doing charitable things, not to be holier than thou, just because it gives you a focus."

The garden and his side work promoting British talent in the U.S. film industry also keep him close to his roots.

"I think my shrink would say there’s some guilt involved maybe, that I’m not over there," Parker Bowles said. "It goes back to the fact that I have this name, and if I can use it for something that helps people, then all the better."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com