Why Prince Charles' Odd Eating Habits Frustrate His Staff

While Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge might have the most envied figure of all the royals, health and fitness are top priorities for other members of "The Firm" as well. Just look at Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, robust still at their advanced ages, who must be doing something right.

Prince Charles is no exception when it comes to health and fitness. It was recently revealed that the heir to the throne manages his weight and looks trim in those bespoke double-breasted suits, in part, with a diet that sounds a little like intermittent fasting (via Johns Hopkins Medicine). He eats a light breakfast followed only by one main meal a day, dinner, while forgoing lunch all together. While this works for the prince, his courtiers are sometimes left wanting.

A member of his staff told the Daily Mail, "It can be a problem sometimes. When we do day visits or foreign tours, he can go the whole day without stopping for a break, which means we all have to miss our lunch as well."

The palace insider went on to say, "It's good in a way, because it means he has time to meet more people, but he doesn't seem to notice all the rumbling stomachs around him. You just learn that you have to have a big breakfast on those days."

So when he does sit down for a meal, what does Prince Charles eat? First and foremost, it must be organic. Former chef to Queen Elizabeth II Darren McGrady says the Duke of Cambridge has been an advocate for sustainable and organic farming for decades. Prince Charles even maintains an organic garden and raises cattle at his home, Highgrove House.

The prince's breakfast usually consists of fruit or a four-minute boiled egg and Darjeeling tea with milk, though on weekends he admits to splurging with his favorite brunch dish, cheesy baked eggs, which he recently shared with his Instagram followers.

For dinner, McGrady says the Duke favors earthy Italian dishes such as a mushroom risotto with rack of lamb, which he cooked in this video for Delish. When the prince guest-edited an issue of Country Life magazine in 2018, he revealed his other favorite dinner foods include pheasant pie and grouse, a game bird he likes cooked in the style of coq-au-vin or like a classic Greek moussaka.

For the prince, it seems that eating well is not only a personally responsible choice, but a social one as well. Charles has spoken out about the problem of obesity, and a statement from his official office, Clarence House said: "The Prince of Wales has long been an advocate of healthy eating, and he does encourage people to have a healthy diet."