King Charles is a busy man, travelling the world in the name of duty, and gamely getting stuck into all manner of activities during public engagements, so it’s easy to forget that the monarch is approaching 80 – and no longer the young man he once was.
During a visit to Teesside last February, the King reminded the public he's not quite so nimble as he once was, telling a Swiss man he met, "I think my skiing days are behind me."
© Photo: Getty ImagesOnce a keen skier, regularly taking to the slopes with his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, it's a shame the King no longer feels comfortable taking to the mountain – and it's not the only passion he's admitted he has retired from.
In October 2024, during a visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens, a young royal fan asked King Charles his favourite sport, to which the King replied: "I can't do much now, too many injuries."
Indeed, the King reportedly suffers with "constant pain in his neck and back," according to Prince Harry, who wrote in Spare that his father's ailments are down to "old polo injuries."
Despite his pain, Queen Camilla was quick to praise her sprightly husband on BBC Radio 5's The Emma Barnett Show in June 2020, saying of the King: "He is probably the fittest man of his age I know."
"He'll walk and walk and walk. He's like a mountain goat, he leaves everybody miles behind."
She went on to detail her husband's most-loved country pursuit, explaining: "Whether he's hedge-laying in the pouring rain, striding, like a mountain goat, up impossibly steep Highland hills, planting trees in the arboretum or pruning at Highgrove, this is where he finds true peace."
© WPA Pool, GettyRuns in the family
While he may no longer be able to ski or play polo, the King still has an impressive health routine. King Charles previously revealed that he "exercises twice a day", performing "squats and does the pull-up bar" – impressive!
The King appears to have passed his polo skills on to his youngest son, Prince Harry, who plays at a professional level in California, while Prince William is still a keen skier, normally heading to the slopes during the easter holidays with Princess Kate and their young family.
Queen Camilla on the other hand, doesn't enjoy skiing, with her son, Tom Parker Bowles, writing in The Times: "My mother hated skiing, so she'd send us up the mountain with a guide while she sat and read her book. She'd come up in the ski lift to meet us for lunch."
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetAt least the Queen has someone to join her for slopeside lunches now her husband has hung up his ski poles.
Core memories
For over 45 years, King Charles' primary skiing destination was the Swiss resort of Klosters. He was such a regular that the town eventually named two chairlifts after him.
In 1988, Charles was caught in an avalanche on a dangerous off-piste run. While he escaped unhurt, the accident killed his close friend, Major Hugh Lindsay. Despite the event, Charles continued visiting the resort for decades.
© Getty ImagesSkiing also doubled as a creative trip for Charles. He often took a second trip alone in March to paint watercolour landscapes. Because of the sub-zero temperatures, he famously mixed vodka into his paints to prevent them from freezing.
During the 1980s and 1990s, royal ski trips became major media events, especially when Princess Diana joined. Frustrated by the heavy press coverage, Charles famously tried to ski incognito during a 1980 trip by wearing a disguise of a fake nose, mustache, and glasses. The look failed to hide his identity and ended up attracting even more attention.
