What does King Charles eat every day?

King was recently diagnosed with a form of cancer

King Charles III has been known for being a health-conscious monarch, which includes a specific diet in addition to paying attention to how he exercises.

Recently Buckingham Palace released a statement on Monday 5 February that the 75-year-old was diagnosed with a form of cancer following a surgery he had for an unrelated enlarged prostate that was deemed benign. According to the statement, the King is in high spirits despite the effort he’s put into his health over the years.

Prior to his cancer diagnosis, the King’s health issues have included contracting Covid-19 at the beginning of the pandemic, being knocked unconscious after being thrown from his horse while playing polo, and narrowly escaping an avalanche that killed a close friend.

Over the years, many reports have been released discussing exactly what Charles eats daily in order to maintain his health.

In a list of 70 facts released by Clarence House in 2018 to mark the then-Prince Charles’ 70th birthday, it was revealed that he restricts himself to only two meals a day. Fact number 20 listed: “The Prince does not eat lunch”.

Gordon Rayner, former royal correspondent at The Telegraph, once said that the King believes lunch is a “luxury” that interferes with his busy schedule.

Julian Payne, his former press secretary, said: “The King doesn’t eat lunch; so, an early lesson I learnt when out on the road with him was to have a big breakfast or bring a few snack bars with you to keep you going. The working day is pretty relentless. Beginning with the radio news headlines and a breakfast of seasonal fruit salad and seeds with tea.”

Homemade bread with nutrient-rich flours such as rye and spelt are also said to be preferred by the King, as well as eggs and side salads with each meal.

To be more specific, coddled eggs that have been cooked for just two to three minutes are said to be his favourite, and he is known to enjoy mashing them into a mayonnaise texture.

Wild mushrooms and plums foraged from his gardens at Highgrove are also among his favourite items to eat, as well as salmon and cheese and biscuits.

Charles also abstains from meat and fish on two days of the week, while he avoids dairy products additionally on one of those days, according to an interview with the BBCin 2021.

The month that Charles was crowned, Buckingham Palace posted a listing for a live-in vegan chef to prepare meals for the monarch.

He has previously stated the main purpose of his intermittent veganism is for its benefit to the environment, and that he stays away from meat that has been sourced from factory farms.

The King is also passionate about organic produce, as former royal chefs Darren McGrady and Carolyn Robb told Delish in May 2023.

Mr McGrady said Charles focused on organic produce “before it was even invented”, with Ms Robb echoing that the monarch’s farm was one of the first to be organically certified in all of the UK.

Graham Tinsley MBE, former manager of the Welsh National Culinary Team, told Hello! magazine that the King doesn’t like chocolate, coffee or garlic.

The King also, apparently, won’t eat biscuits that haven’t already been pre-warmed to a certain temperature.

A royal source said back in 2022: “Charles enjoys cheese and biscuits at the end of many of his meals. Since he’s particular about everything, he insists that they be a certain temperature. The staff keeps a warming pan just to make sure they are hot enough for his liking.”