Shoelaces ironed, lukewarm water, toothpaste put on the toothbrush beforehand… Charles III doesn’t skimp on requirements, to the point of being nicknamed the “spoiled prince”! Gala presents some of his morning fads.
It will come as no surprise to anyone, but King Charles III is far from living a “normal” life. Since his birth seventy-five years ago, Queen Elizabeth II’s son has developed some very special morning habits. In the documentary Serving the Royals: Inside the Firm, broadcast on Prime Video, Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler, claims that Harry and William’s father ensures that “his pyjamas are ironed every morning, his shoelaces are ironed flat with an iron, the bath plug is in a certain position and the water temperature is just lukewarm”. The former butler adds that, at the time, Prince Charles “even asked his valets to squeeze an inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush every morning”. Yes, you read that correctly. But the extravagance doesn’t stop there!
In addition to the temperature of his bath water, Paul Burrell revealed that the King requests that the bath is “only half full”. When it comes to breakfast, the British monarch demands a very healthy menu. According to chef Graham Newbould, a former member of the royal staff, Charles III eats homemade bread, a bowl of fresh fruit and fresh fruit juices. The chef says Camilla’s husband takes his luxurious “breakfast box” with him wherever he goes, including “six different kinds of honey, special mueslis, dried fruit and anything a bit special that he’s a bit fussy about”.
“The spoiled prince” turned “spoiled king”?
According to the Prime Video documentary, the monarch has already been given the title of “spoiled prince” by the staff at his Clarence House residence. This nickname may well be deserved, as his demands are not limited to his residence. The King has strict demands, even when it comes to travel. It has been reported that he takes his own toilet seat and roll of toilet paper with him when he travels. Journalist Tina Brown, a close friend of Princess Diana, wrote in her book The Palace Papers that the head of state would send a van full of his possessions to friends’ country houses the day before his visit, unloading his “bed, furniture and even photographs”.
Photo credits: Zuma Press / Bestimage