The real reason King Charles never eats lunch revealed

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 6 October 2023

King Charles never eats lunch - and the reason why he made this decision might surprise you.

King Charles is committed to his responsibilities as monarch and his days are jam-packed with royal engagements, meetings and appearances. But while you might think he'd need a hearty lunch to get him through his busy days, the King actually opts to skip the meal altogether - because he believes it simply interferes with his hectic schedule and he doesn't want anything to interrupt his work.

Former royal correspondent Gordon Rayner previously revealed in The Telegraph how the King prefers to work through lunch, while a list of 70 facts about Charles, published by the Royal Family website to mark his 70th birthday, stated that the then-Prince of Wales "does not eat lunch".

Discussing his experience traveling the world with King Charles, who was the Prince of Wales at the time, Gordon claimed, "Lunch is seen as a luxury that gets in the way of his work, so he eats a late breakfast and works through."

He went on to state that he had personal experience of this, adding, "I found this out the hard way, by going hungry when I started covering royal tours and watching enviously as his long-suffering staff produced snacks from pockets so they could eat on the go."

And the King's former press secretary Julian Payne concurred, adding, "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."

When it comes to breakfast, clearly the King needs to feel satisfied for the rest of the day and his dish of choice is cheesy baked eggs. Back in 2020, Clarence Hous e revealed the-then Prince Charles's favourite dish on Instagram.

Alongside the picture, Clarence House wrote, "The Prince has also shared one of his favourite recipes, Cheesy Baked Eggs, which can be made by using any number of our great British cheeses."

The King is also keen on nuts and seeds in the morning, along with a cup of tea, according to royal journalist, Tina Brown's book The Palace Papers. In the book, she recalls an incident in which famous guest Stephen Fry was inspecting the breakfast buffet at Highgrove "when he lifted a tureen that offered Charles' preferred heap of Linseed." She wrote, "Prince William said 'Oh no, don't go near the bird table, Stephen, that's only for Pa.'"

Another healthy food the King is a fan of, apparently, is mushrooms. According to Express.co.uk, former royal chef Darren McGrady previously told Delish magazine about the monarch's love of the vegetable. “He was a foodie - into organic farming before it was even invented,” Darren reportedly explained. “He loves wild mushrooms and would take his chefs to Balmoral to show them where the best mushrooms are.”

Robyn is a celebrity and entertainment journalist and editor with over eight years experience in the industry. As well as contributing regular to woman&home, she also often writes for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman's Weekly and The Sun.