Mealtime habit King Charles frowns upon as 'worst thing' you can do
King Charles III and other members of the British royal family are likely to be unhappy if their dinners are ever caught doing two specific things, according to a former butler.
The monarch, 77, has recently returned from a state visit in the United States with his wife, Queen Camilla, 78, where the pair attended a four-course meal at the White House, organised by First Lady Melania Trump.
The mother-of-one reportedly served the King a dessert with one ingredient he was allegedly not a fan of, while a chef at the British Embassy subverted norms by rustling up roast beef sandwiches at a traditional afternoon tea event.
Since returning to the UK, Charles has hosted and attended a 50th anniversary celebration of the King’s Trust; toured Northern Ireland for the 43rd time; and assigned his brother Prince Edward and his wife, the Duchess Sophie, to visit Portugal from 1-3 June, as per reports.
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The father-of-two has also found himself in the news after Julius Smith, former royal butler and the founder of Regal Afternoon Tea, revealed what food-based acts he and other members of the royal household tend to ‘frown’ upon.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Smith said that the ‘worst thing’ you can do while having tea with royalty is to snap up the last biscuit without offering it out first.
Of course, there’s nothing more annoying than someone pinching a sweet treat from under your nose, but to do so without asking? Scandalous.
Another act that the Mountbatten-Windsor family allegedly isn’t keen on is when guests snap pictures of their food before tucking in.
Research published in the Journal Of Consumer Marketing suggests that taking food photographs may make your morsels taste better as you are more likely to notice the colour and texture more than if you were to just dig in.
Moreover, experts working on a Psychological Science paper found a link between meal satisfaction and taking a picture.
The same level of gratification can be achieved by saying Grace or opening the foil on a bar of chocolate in a way that is less ravenous than usual.
However, the royals aren’t allegedly fans of the practice, with Smith suggesting anyone dining at Buckingham Palace ‘enjoy’ the experience, rather than documenting it with their mobile phone.
Interestingly, Charles’ step-son, Tom Parker Bowles, has also previously revealed another dislike that the ruler has: food waste.
Writing in his 2024 book, Cooking And The Crown: Royal recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III, the 51-year-old food critic said that the ruler has banned anything being thrown away after meal times.
"There is no waste, everything is recycled, everything is used from the table. If anything is left over from the dinner, that will be made into something else or appear the next day,” he wrote, as per The Mirror. “Nothing's allowed to be thrown out.”
Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams has backed up Parker Bowles, adding: “King Charles is a huge fan of recycling and upcycling, and he has a strict no-waste policy. If things can be used again, they will.”
Ella Scott