He was named monarch of Great Britain only last weekend, but Charles III has actually lived as king all his life.
Staff at Clarence House, where he lived with his wife Camilla from 2003 until his recent accession to the throne, have always called him the “pampered prince.” A nickname that well describes the extravagant habits of the new ruler.
Paul Burrell, who served as butler to Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, revealed the precise instructions the staff receives to take care of the King, from ironing his shoelaces to putting toothpaste on his toothbrush.
“His pajamas are ironed every morning, as are his shoelaces. The bath mat has to be in a certain position and the water temperature has to be just lukewarm,” in a bathtub filled “only halfway.” The King “even makes his valets squeeze an inch of toothpaste on his toothbrushes every morning.”
After getting ready, Charles’ strict morning routine continues with breakfast. “He eats only homemade bread, a bowl of fresh fruit, fruit juices,” said chef Graham Newbould, a former royal staff member. “Wherever he goes in the world, the breakfast box goes with him. He has six different kinds of honey, some special muesli, his dried fruit. He’s a little fussy.”
He also wants his cheese and cookies warmed to a certain temperature at the end of meals and asks his staff to keep a hot tray nearby.
In addition to the breakfast box, King Charles also has a habit of sending a van with his belongings to his friends’ country homes before he arrives, to unload “his bed, his furniture, and even his pictures,” Tina Brown reported in “The Palace Papers.”
He also reportedly carries a personalized toilet seat and Kleenex Velvet toilet paper. Personal effects that accompany him wherever he goes.
