Deciding what to bring and what to leave behind when you're travelling can sometimes feel impossible. And it appears that dilemma becomes all the more complex when you're a royal. According to author Tom Bower, King Charles is said to never leave home without certain luxuries and amenities. Writing in his bestselling book, Rebel King, Tom revealed the swathe of eclectic belongings the King ferried with him during a visit to the Northeast of England.
According to the author, the King often travels with his very own bed, whiskey and even a stash of luxury toilet rolls. Bower wrote: "He [The King] sent his staff ahead a day early with a truck carrying furniture to replace the perfectly appropriate fittings in the guest rooms. And not just the odd chest of drawers: the truck contained nothing less than Charles and Camilla’s complete bedrooms, including the prince’s orthopaedic bed, along with his own linen.
© Getty Images"His staff had also made sure to pack a small radio, Charles’s own lavatory seat, rolls of Kleenex Premium Comfort lavatory paper, Laphroaig whisky and bottled water (for both bedrooms), plus two landscapes of the Scottish Highlands."
King Charles' particular diet
As well as furniture, linen and whiskey, Tom noted that Charles is also said to travel with his own organic food. The King, who has previously revealed that he's fish and meat-free for two days a week, and dairy-free one day a week, has very specific diet requirements. Tom Quinn, who writes the bestseller Yes Ma'am, which chronicles the history of the royal servants, revealed Charles' stipulations when it comes to his eggs.
Tom wrote: "He [the King] had never once cooked his own eggs and muffins. Because, like many people, Charles is fussy about how his own eggs are cooked, and because eggs are notoriously difficult to get just right, he insists that six eggs should be cooked so that at least two will be just as he likes them."
As well as this, Charles famously does not eat lunch. The royal's abnormal eating pattern has even been acknowledged by Clarence House in a list of 70 facts released for the King's (formerly Prince Charles) 70th birthday. Without explanation, number 20 on the list is: "The Prince does not eat lunch."
© Mark CuthbertKing Charles' unusual rituals
King Charles' peculiar habits don't stop here. The monarch is known to stay up all night writing letters, for example, as revealed by his royal relative. Sophie Winkleman, known as Lady Frederick Windsor, alluded to his peculiar sleep cycle in an interview with Tatler. "He works all day long, has a quick supper and then disappears until about 4am to write letters. He cares about so many things and he comes up with brilliant solutions," she said.
Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell also revealed in the documentary, 'Serving the Royals: Inside the Firm', that His Majesty was incredibly particular about his baths. "The water temperature has to be just tepid," he said, adding that the tub can only be "half-full" with its plug "in a certain position."
© Getty ImagesWhen it comes to exercise, too, King Charles doesn't do things the conventional way. His son Prince Harry previously shed some insight into his bizarre exercise regime in his autobiography, Spare, revealing that he would often stumble into his father hanging upside down!
"You might blunder in as he was doing his headstands. He performed them daily, in just a pair of boxers, propped against a door or hanging from a bar like a skilled acrobat." Harry wrote, before explaining his father's unusual ritual."Prescribed by his physio, these exercises were the only effective remedy for the constant pain in Pa's neck and back."
