Tina Brown's new royal book has revealed a weird habit of the Future King, who always insists on bringing along his own familiar luxuries even when paying a visit to his friends' homes in the countryside.
According to royal expert Tina Brown's new book - The Palace Papers, King Charles is particularly picky about his list of must-have goods whenever he leaves the palace for a travel or friends' visit.
King Charles' weird list of demands when traveling
According to Marie Claire,The Palace Papers, which is on the shelf now, details how the King firmly insists on preparing his own royal furniture, including 'the King’s orthopedic bed, lavatory seat, and Kleenex Velvet lavatory paper, plus two landscapes of the Scottish landscapes', when he travels. The book adds that Charles' former assistant Michael Fawcett was responsible for the 'paraphernalia that preceded his boss like the baggage train of a Tudor traveling court', as written by Mirror.
In her book, Brown, who also wrote the 2007 biography about the late Princess of Wales titled The Diana Chronicles, claims that the Future King of England would send a van containing his demanded furniture to his friends' estates in the countryside one day before he arrives. And of course, the same routine applies when he makes overseas trips that last longer. Brown, who composed the book from 120 insiders and sources, wrote:
'When he traveled to stay at friends’ country houses, a truck arrived the day before, bringing his bed, furniture, and even pictures, which his pampering aide Michael Fawcett ensured would be hung in his allotted bedroom in place of the possessions of the host.'
King Charle's other surprising choices and habits are also revealed in The Palace Papers. According to Marie Claire, the book also elaborates how King Charles is very particular about his menu, which is a far cry from his mother, The Queen. While Her Majesty, who's long been known as a creature of habit, would always eat whatever dish was served, King Charles would always insist on bringing his own glass out of which to drink a pre-mixed martini at 'any moment' in the meal.
The fact was previously claimed by former royal chef Darren McGrady, who worked in Buckingham Palace for more than 15 years. The chef revealed in an interview that King Charles likes to ensure the royal kitchen always has 'his own procedure' available. He said:
'The instruction was to put two plums and a little juice into the bowl and send it into him for breakfast. I'd send in two plums and he would take one so it would come back out after breakfast and I'd put the other plum back into the jar and save it.'
He added:
'One morning I thought, 'ok, he only eats one for breakfast,' so I only put one plum into the bowl and sent it out into the dining room. The attending [waiter] came through and said, 'can His Royal Highness have two please?' So I had to keep sending two in every morning.'
King Charles has several other bizarre habits
King Charles' weird list of traveling furniture is not the only abnormal characteristic the Future King of England has displayed over the years. In the documentary Serving the Royals: Inside the Firm, Diana's former butler Paul Burrell revealed the King's meticulous dressing habit:
'His pyjamas are pressed every morning, his shoelaces are pressed flat with an iron, the bath plug has to be in a certain position, and the water temperature has to be just tepid. He has his valets squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush every morning.'
Brown's book also claims that King Charles kept a large number of staff following him around. Much to the Queen's dissatisfaction, however, the King gave each of his staff a room, which was deemed a wastage. Another offbeat habit of the King that many people are still aware of is his excessive attention to his appearance, especially when he was still young. Brown claimed that there were occasions when the King had to change his outfit five times a day just to make sure others would perceive him as he wanted.
Read more:
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