As Head of State, one might assume that King Charles is immune to rules imposed upon the rest of the country – but even royalty isn't exempt from certain stipulations.
Case in point, Thames Water's hosepipe ban, which is set to come into play across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire – the counties which house King Charles' Gloucestershire Highgrove Estate and Queen Camilla's pre-royal residence, Ray Mill House, near Chippenham in Wiltshire.
A statement from the water company said the ban will commence on July 22 due to a lack of rain and increasing demand for water, which has stretched supplies.
The ban sees the use of a hosepipe forbidden for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool. People found to be using a hosepipe during a ban can be fined up to £1,000.
Thames Water said the temporary restriction would cover areas with postcodes beginning with OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9 – with GL and SN the postcodes for King Charles and Queen Camilla's much-loved countryside retreats.
Prince William and Princess Kate's exemption
While Berkshire, home to the Prince and Princess of Wales at Adelaide Cottage, comes under the ban, Prince William and Princess Kate are exempt from the ban as they live under an SL postcode – phew!
King Charles is known for his strong eco-credentials, as well as his love of gardening, so we suspect he'll have a plan in place for keeping his beloved garden green and lush during the ban on hosepipes - including using a good old-fashioned watering can.
Wiltshire resident Joanne Macleod, 71, who lives a stone's throw from King Charles' royal abode, shares her plans for the hosepipe ban, noting: "We have always had three water barrels to collect any rain that comes in, so will continue to use that reserved water in watering cans until it runs out. We're simply conserving as much water as possible during this time."
Another option, approved by gardening expert Lucie Bradley is to "reuse grey water". This means using "shower water, kitchen sink water, and leftover bathtub water" to replenish the garden, as long as it doesn't have any harsh chemicals or pollutants.
While we can't see King Charles reserving water from his royal tub, his team of gardening experts is sure to offer advice, and though it might seem stressful to be unable to water his sprawling garden, King Charles shared pragmatic advice for the green-fingered among us during an interview with Gardeners' Question Time.
"No two years are the same. So, what was a disaster one year will probably be a success the next year. So don’t despair. Nature’s quite interesting like that."
Wise words from our King!