Queen Elizabeth loved her Special-K cereal and Princess Diana was a big fan of overnight oats, but for organic produce advocate King Charles, one of his favorite foods is a bit more surprising.
Speaking to coffee retailer Coffee Beans, The King’s former royal butler Grant Harrold said that when it comes to dining, the monarch likes “a mixture of both” vegetarian and meat-based options.
“He likes his plant-based food,” Harrold says. “If you look at Highgrove, all the vegetables grown there end up being made into meals. Potatoes, leaks, and asparagus—he loves to eat them all.” However, meat features just as heavily in The King’s meals. “He loves mutton; it is a staple in his diet,” the former butler said.
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Although Harrold notes that The King “always avoids shellfish” to prevent “getting food poisoning,” the monarch does make exceptions. While attending the Whitstable Oyster Festival in 2013, King Charles (then Prince Charles) dug into oysters with gusto as Queen Camilla watched on.
King Charles is pictured trying out some cheese on February 9.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
However, Harrold points out that the “one thing” King Charles “will never avoid is biscuits.” In this case, the former butler is referring to a British version of a biscuit, more like a crunchy, dry cookie or cracker.
“Whenever coffee or tea was offered, biscuits were always there if guests wanted one,” Harrold says. Unfortunately, The King’s favorite brand, Bath Oliver, has been discontinued, but the former butler says he “always used to give [The King] a packet for his birthday.”
The King didn’t eat lunch for many years, but he’s started doing so after his cancer diagnosis, per doctor’s orders—and Queen Camilla’s. During Harrold’s tenure, Charles would eat “breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea,” with the former butler noting, “If he ever did have lunch, it would be a salad. He has always been very careful with what his intake is.”
The King tries an oyster at the Whitstable Oyster Festival in 2013.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Although King Charles enjoys drinking coffee as well as a cup of tea, Harrold says that during his employment at Highgrove, they stuck to old-fashioned coffee makers and even instant coffee.
“They certainly didn’t have a fancy coffee machine in the palace when I was there,” he says. “If you wanted a cup of coffee, it would be good and dependable instant coffee or brewed in a cafetiere before being put into a coffee pot.”