Charles III, monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, is much travelled. For a start, he enjoys residences all over his home country, from the Highgrove home in Gloucestershire that he now rents from his son Prince William to London’s Buckingham Palace, Norfolk’s Sandringham Estate and the former Queen’s favourite, Balmoral Castle, near Scotland’s Cairngorm Mountains.
But let’s not forget Charles has also been journeying worldwide since at least the age of six, when he went to Malta on board the royal yacht, Britannia. Since then he has visited over 100 nations around the globe, as close to home as France and as remote as Vanuatu in the South Pacific.
Travelling for so much of one’s life, whether for official or unofficial duties, one is bound to develop habits and preferences that help to create a feeling of comfort and security. So what are the things King Charles can simply not do without?
Toilet habits
According to The Palace Papers, a royal tell-all by the former editor of Tatler, when he goes away Charles takes along his own toilet seat. His bathroom rider also includes Kleenex Velvet toilet paper and for his morning and nightly ablutions, he requires his personal aide to squeeze exactly one inch of toothpaste on his toothbrush.
Bedroom
Extraordinarily, King Charles is said to take his own bed along with him when he’s away from home. It’s a special orthopaedic affair to support the bad back he has often spoken about, and for which he also often carries a lumbar cushion. The bed (and special bed linen and other furniture, according to reports) are transported in advance to wherever he is to spend the night, including short overnight stays at friends’ houses.
The range of furnishings he likes to have travel with him include favourite landscape paintings depicting Scottish that help him to settle in.
Morning routine
The British monarch’s morning travel routine apparently involves a personal selection of organic products in a breakfast box. They include six different types of honey, some mueslis, dried fruit and “anything that’s a bit special that he is a bit fussy about,” royal chef Graham Newbould has revealed. (It is not known whether Charles brings his own eggs but at home, he is alleged to demand them boiled to such perfection that staff must prepare several so that at least one hits the mark.)
When dressing, Charles also likes his shoelaces “ironed flat” according to the Indian news channel WION – a sartorial choice that is easier to accomplish when one has a retinue of staff to take care of it.
Booze and cheese and biscuits
Pre-dinner Charles is reportedly a martini lover and is said to travel with his very own glass into which pre-mixed cocktails prepared by his protection officer can be poured on command.
When it comes to other collations, a warming tray ensures that the food is always at the right temperature. This is especially important for the cheese course, says WION.
Staying amused
When one has been around the world so much, travel boredom could set in unless one has a hobby. Charles paints watercolours and the exhibition notes for the first full showing of his work in Scotland in 2022 revealed that he finds it “requires the most intense concentration and, consequently, is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know”. Painting “refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can’t reach” he added.
He is said to paint outdoors in situ and, The Scotsman reported, he therefore takes “his treasured sailcloth and leather painting bag with him on royal tours in the hope he will have time to do so.”
